My Dearest
by enchanted-blues
Summary: Moving from a smaller city to San Franskoyo was a big step, but it was a step Hana desperately took. A bigger city meant bigger opportunities. But living alone and being independent had never been harder, not to mention lonely. That is...until she met him. With him, her troubles and worries melted away. Her dearest. [AU; Tadashi Hamada]
1. Chapter 1

**"So, everything that makes me whole, I will dedicate them all to you now. I'm yours." - supercell, _My Dearest_**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or anything Disney or Marvel related. I do not own the lyrics to the song._

* * *

The afternoon sun shone brightly and people were bustling about since the weather was extremely nice. Unfortunately, the weather did nothing to lighten up the heavy, dark clouds in her heart. Despite how she felt on the inside, she still worked efficiently, making all sorts of coffee drinks and cleaning the tables when the crowds died down in Lucky Cat Café. Somehow, she had managed to smile at all the customers even though that wasn't how she really felt inside.

"Your shift was over fifteen minutes ago, sweetie." Her boss, Cass, said softly and gently took the table cleaning cloth from her.

Eyes shifted from the table to the cat clock hanging on the wall. It was just as her boss said, her shift had already ended and yet, she was still here working. Honestly, she didn't mind one bit.

"Sorry, boss. I just got…distracted."

Cass' eyes softened even more because she knew what the girl had meant by being distracted. Reaching out, Cass took the younger girl's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I know, Hana. I'll take it from here so you go on ahead."

Hana was grateful to work for such a wonderful and kind boss. Cass was more than just a boss to her though, she was someone Hana could look up to and talk to, almost like that cool aunt in the family.

"Thank you." It took no more than a minute before Hana was ready to leave. She hefted her tote bag onto one shoulder and offered Cass a smile that did reach her eyes. "I'll see you later?"

"Of course, honey. I'll swing by later. Be safe."

_Be safe_.

Ever since Tadashi and the fire, Cass had said those words more often to her and Hiro. There was something about it that wrenched Hana's heart at the underlying message of those two words, and it always made her want to give Cass a hug.

Hana smiled at Cass and gave Mochi a gentle scratch behind the ear before waving goodbye.

Now that she was outside, she felt the full force of the afternoon sun and people walking down the sidewalk. Nice days like this used to make her happy, but now there was a sad lump lodged into her heart. There wasn't much a skip in her steps these days, not since the fire.

With a sigh, she shouldered her tote bag again so it wouldn't slip down further before walking towards the bus stop. And while she stood waiting at the bus stop, a couple, hand in hand, stood there too. Hana's stomach churned uncomfortably and her chest clenched with longing.

There had been a time when that had been her and Tadashi. Smiling, laughing, joking around, holding hands, and doing other couple things.

But now? They couldn't do any of that and it hurt her.

She missed him more than anything in the world. Who was going to taste test the drinks she created? Who was going to come to all of her piano concerts? Who was going to give her warm hugs? Who was going to wipe away the tears after an emotional movie?

Not Tadashi. Not anymore.

_Why did it have to be this way, Tadashi?_

The back of her eyes stung, a warning that the tears would be coming soon. She closed her eyes and willed the tears to stop before they came. She wouldn't cry. She wasn't going to crying anymore. Tadashi wouldn't have wanted her to cry.

* * *

"Oh, Miss Hana! You're here already." One of the on-duty nurses she had become well acquainted with greeted her with a smile when Hana stepped into the spacious room.

"Hi Karen. How are you?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. I just finished with the check up."

Hana slipped her bag off her shoulder and rested it by the nightstand that had a vase with a new arrangement of fresh flowers. Beside the vase, there was a small red lollipop. A soft smile touched her lips, already knowing who had come to visit before her.

"The young brother left ten minutes ago. He seems much happier these days."

Hana smiled and picked the lollipop up, tucking it into her cardigan pocket. "Yeah, Hiro's doing really well these days. He's acing all his classes at school." And, he and his friends saved San Fransokyo from destruction, successfully putting Callaghan in jail.

Thankfully, the nurse left after that, leaving her alone with the person she had wanted to see the most.

"Hey, Tadashi." Hana whispered softly, sitting on the chair by his hospital bed. The steady sounds from the heart monitor was the only reply she received, which was better than nothing because it meant he was alive. In a coma, but still alive.

Gently, she took his hand in hers and smoothed the back of it with her thumb. So warm … Smiling softly, she lifted his hand up to her lips and kissed his knuckles.

The young man before her lay still, not reacting to her affectionate gestures. Everything stayed the same as she continuously stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. With her other hand, she reached over and smoothed his soft black hair, glad that it was growing back after they cut it short to get rid of the burnt ends.

Ever since the fire, Tadashi had been in the hospital under a coma. He had gone into save Callaghan, but had been caught in an explosion instead. Luckily, he had only entered the building when the explosion happened and the firefighters had managed to find his body before something even more terrible happened. It had been rough, the doctors had lost him a few times during the surgery, but Tadashi had fought hard. In the end, he had fallen into a coma and at first, the doctors hadn't been sure if he would make it. But he did. Two months later and still going strong.

It was better than him being gone, Hana always told herself. Hearing his heart beat normally and seeing his steady breaths always relieved her. It gave her hope that he would open those beautiful eyes of his again and smile that sweet smile that always had her melting.

"I got a nice tip today. I was helping out this old couple with picking their coffee and baked goods. They left a twenty in the jar after." She always told him about her day and just anything that came to her mind. It helped her cope and a silly part of her hoped that he was somehow listening to every word, every story.

"Oh! I tried making this drink I saw on the internet. It's a blueberry chai latte. I had Hiro try it out and he didn't make any grossed out faces so that's a plus, right?"

Oh what she wouldn't give to see his smile again, to hear that laugh that made her tingle all over, to relish in those warm hugs that soothed her, to melt against him when he kissed her.

The lump in her heart grew and her eyes started welling up with tears.

_Tadashi_…

"I miss you." She whispered, holding back a sob as she brought his hand to her cheek.

_Please come back _…

* * *

**Hello and welcome!**

**The summary sort of sucks because I suck at writing them. I've had this idea playing in my mind for a while, but out of the blue, I had the urge to write this and here we are. This is an AU where Tadashi is alive. I know it's been done before, but I couldn't help it. This is my take on the 'what if Tadashi lived' idea. Also, the title, lyrics, and summary inspiration are from the song _My Dearest _by supercell. **

**Hope you liked it! **

**~Mari**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_\- Two years ago -_

It's been two weeks since Hana handed out her first batch of resumes and not one place had called her back for an interview. From grocery stores to gas stations to retail positions; none of them had gotten back to her. Had she smelled weird or had something on her face when she handed resumes out to people in charge? No, no, she had made sure she looked nice and squeaky clean before she left.

"Sorry, we're not hiring." That was the third place today. So much for third times the charm.

"Thank you for your time."

Hana sighed as she trudged down the sidewalk. She had left her place with a bright smile on her face and high hopes, but she was drained now. She was in a pinch. She came to the big city of San Fransokyo with big dreams, but it was impossible to land a job. You would think that a city like this would have some full-time positions at some stores, but it didn't look as if it did. Or else she would've had a job already.

Thank the gods she was lucky enough to be staying at a family friend's condo while they were traveling the world for who knows how long. But her luck was depleting along with the money she had separated for living expenses and pocket money. She didn't really want to dip her hands into the funds that she was saving for university.

Maybe her parents had been right. Maybe she should've gone to university right away instead of stubbornly wanting to take a break for a year. She wanted to make some money, explore places, experience things. That's what had led her from her small city to this gigantic city. It had been a beacon in the fog.

"This gap year is beginning to seem more and more like a mistake…" She mumbled to herself as she turned a corner.

Suddenly, a body barrelled into her from behind and the resumes in the folder she was holding spilled out onto the ground. Hana yelped and dropped to one knee, wincing when it made contact with the concrete.

"Sorry! 'Scuse me!" A voice, probably belonging to the person that crashed into her, chirped hurriedly. Hana dropped to her other, not sore knee and looked up to see a young boy with messy black hair and big brown eyes.

Hana grabbed one of the many papers and looked up again to see that the kid was already edging away.

"Uh hey-"

"I'm really sorry!" The boy exclaimed and darted away.

"Hey, kid!" Hana called out after him. Wait, why was she even calling out to the kid anyway? She already had things to do. She scrambled around and picked up all the papers that had fallen.

While she was neatly stuffing the papers back into her pink folder, her eyes went back to the direction of where the young boy had run. That's when it caught her attention.

Lucky Cat Café.

That was cute. And she could definitely use a coffee right about now.

The little bell on the door chimed and Hana stepped inside. Instantly, the sweet aroma of baked goods and coffee wafted up her nose and it took a lot of self-control not to drool. All her worries and troubles melted away as she walked further into the homey yet adorable café. All the customers had smiles on their faces as they ate and sipped away, and in turn it made her smile too.

"Hi there!" A woman with short brown hair greeted her cheerfully from behind the counter. Hana returned the bright smile and stood in front.

"Hi. May I please get a, um–" Hana paused briefly to look up at the chalkboard menu to choose a drink. " – a chai latte? Oh! And a lemon poppyseed donut too, please."

"Absolutely."

After paying for her treats, she stood by the end of the second counter to wait for her drink. She took that moment to really soak in the atmosphere of the café and look at everything around her. The soothing music reached her ears finally and she felt herself relax more. There were a few cat themed items in the store, and her immediate favourite was the cat clock hanging on the wall. Everything about this café was wonderful.

"Here's your chai latte." The woman broke her out of her thoughts and Hana reached out to grasp the cup.

"Thank you very much." Hana took a sip and there was a delicious explosion of flavours. Sweet yet the spice known in chai tea shone through and the balance with the milk was perfect. She'd never tasted a chai latte this delicious before.

The next thought came right after the second tasty sip and she blurted it out before she could stop herself, "Are you hiring, by any chance?" Because she'd love to work here.

The woman looked surprised at first and nodded slowly, trying to process the sudden outburst. Hana took that as a good sign and handed her a resume. It wasn't an impressive resume, nothing super extraordinary, but she was still proud of her volunteer work, accomplishments, and other work experience.

It took a moment for the woman to look at the information. This was nerve-wrecking. Hana should've gone to sit at a table or something after handing her the piece of paper. However, before the young girl could, the woman finally spoke up.

"Why do you want to work here?"

Her pulse hiked up and she could feel cold sweat break out on the back of her neck. "I-it's very nice here. I love the atmosphere and I love how all the customers are smiling and having a good time." She flushed at how incredibly cheesy that sounded, but it was the truth.

"What do you do right now?"

Oh god, Hana was so nervous. She forced herself to calm down so that the cup would stop shaking. "I moved to San Fransokyo a few weeks ago. I'm taking a year off before I go to university. My goal is to go to the San Fransokyo Institute of Music." _Stop babbling, Hana! _

"Have you had any experience with barista work before?"

Oh.

_Oh_. Was this an interview? Already? Oh man, as if she couldn't get any more nervous. _Do not mess this up, Hana._ "Just a little bit. But I'm willing to learn everything I can."

The short haired woman, her potential boss, stared calculatingly at her. The silence had only been going on for a few seconds, but it felt like years to Hana. But a smile spread across the woman's lips and she stuck her hand out towards Hana.

"I'm Cass, the owner of the café. I want to hire you."

_Huh?_

"I-I got the job?" Hana squeaked out. Really? Really, really?! Excitement swelled inside her when Cass nodded enthusiastically and laughed good-naturedly. She got a job! "I'll work really hard. I won't let you down, I promise."

Cass seemed like a really great lady and the two of them discussed when Hana should come in for her first day of training. The whole time they spoke, Hana couldn't wipe the smile of her face because she somehow got lucky. Whoever said thirds time was the charm?

After she finished speaking with Cass and deciding on the day, Hana started for the entrance and nearly stopped in her steps when she saw a guy walk through the entrance. Not just any guy, but a super adorable, tall guy. Did she mention adorable?

Their eyes met and her heart did a jump and she noticed how nice his brown eyes looked. As they walked past each other, he offered her a smile that caused her to blush.

Oh god, she already hoped this cute guy was a regular.

* * *

**So, I decieded I wanted to keep going with this series. The ideas kept flowing and I didn't want to stop just yet. I imagine Cass is hiring since she can't be manning the shop all by herself and bake at the same time. Plus, Hiro is still a kid at this point too so I definitely think Cass would actually be looking to hire someone.**

**Big thanks to everyone who read, followed, and favourited! Big thank you to frostystuffs and Awalkert for the reviews! :) Have a good weekend!**

**Also, the cover image isn't mine and if anyone knows who the artist is, please let me know! I want to give credit to the artist :)**

**~Mari**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

A yawn escaped Hana and she tried her best to cover it with the back of her hand. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she walked down the empty sidewalk to Lucky Cat Café. Cass had asked her to come half an hour before the café opened so that Hana could have a brief crash course. At least there weren't many people on the streets at 6:30 in the morning.

"Good morning." Hana greeted with a smile when she pushed into the café. Cass was already moving about getting the pastries ready and the coffee brewing.

"Hey, good morning." Cass greeted back, holding a cookie pan with freshly baked cookies. Wow, that smelled delicious and she had to mentally yell at her stomach not to growl.

She walked behind the counter and followed Cass into the back where the kitchen was. She slipped her light jacket off and hooked it on one of the hooks with her small purse.

"Thanks for coming early." Her boss smiled as she placed the cookies neatly on top of a cute plate. "Just grab one of those aprons and wash your hands. I'm just going to plate these really quick."

Hana quickly washed her hands at the kitchen sink and slipped the cute apron on. There was a cat on the front of it, similar to the one on the café sign.

"There." Cass said with a smile, placing the cookie sheet on the huge kitchen counter. "Before I take this to the display case, I should probably tell you about the kitchen."

The short haired woman spent a few minutes explaining what goes on in the kitchen, what to do in there, and whatnot. Cass explained that she was usually in the back baking, but she did work at the front as well.

"And here we have the brewed coffee. Light, medium, and dark." Hana nodded eagerly, absorbing everything Cass was telling her. The drink portion was quite simple and not as complicated as those chain coffee shops. Thank god she didn't have to memorize all those complex recipes.

Hana listened carefully and mentally jotted notes down. It would take a while for her to get used to everything and get into the groove of things, but she would do her best. Plus, she was relatively familiar with a cash register and it was pretty straight forward. There were little stickers on the keys and small sticky notes on the actual machine with some important notes.

"So, any questions?" Cass asked once she got through all the basic, but important parts of the job.

"Not at the moment." Hana smiled sweetly, tucking the small notebook in the apron pocket.

"If you do, don't hesitate to ask me. And Angela will be there to help too."

Angela was one of the part timers that worked at the café and Hana hoped they'd get along. Apparently, they were close in age with Angela being a couple years older. And speak of the devil, there she was, bright smile on her face. The early morning didn't seem to bother the brunette at all and Hana found herself mirroring the smile.

"You girls take care of the front. I'm going to get some other things started in the kitchen before ordering some more supplies." Cass disappeared into the kitchen and Hana suddenly felt very awkward with her new co-worker.

"Hi, you must be the new co-worker. My name is Angela." The girl was much taller than Hana's five foot five and had auburn hair cascading down in loose waves. But despite that, Angela had a bright smile and seemed genuine about getting to know her.

"Yeah, I'm Hana."

"It's pretty early, huh? But it's totally worth it."

It only took about five minutes before they were engaged in conversation. Angela wasn't that bad at all; actually, she was incredibly nice. She was an English major at the local college and, like her, was making some pocket money. Not only was she really nice, she was also very patient with Hana when a customer ordered. The auburn haired girl was a good teacher and Hana found herself quickly getting the hang of the cash register. The drinks would take time, but she tried to watch Angela as much as she could.

Around eight o'clock, the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs reached Hana's ears. Stairs? That was strange, was there something upstairs?

As if reading her mind, Angela hooked her thumb behind her towards the kitchen. "The stairs are there. There's actually a living quarters above the café where Cass and her nephews live."

"Oh, wow. That's really neat." Hana smiled, cleaning off the counter for the second time. So, _that's _what the other floors and windows were. She had no idea Cass lived above the café, but that was pretty convenient when you thought about it.

Another thing she didn't expect were the nephews.

Oh god, that was the cute guy she saw yesterday when she was leaving the café.

Oh _god_, he was Cass's _nephew_?

Their eyes met when he emerged from the back and Hana's heart nearly stopped. He was gorgeous and when he smiled at her, she felt her cheeks heat up.

"Good morning. Aunt Cass told us she hired a new person. It's nice to meet you." The cute guy extended his hand out to her and she gently grasped it. "I'm Tadashi Hamada."

"I'm Hana Park. It's nice to meet you too." She blushed as he shook it gently. She noticed how warm his hand was and how his hand was big enough to engulf hers. For some reason, she really didn't want him to let go of her hand.

A few seconds passed by before she realized she had lost herself in his eyes and her cheeks flamed up again. Taking back her hand gently, she cleared her throat and smiled shyly.

"Would you like some coffee?"

Tadashi smiled kindly, not commenting on what had just happened. Thank god. "That would be great. May I have medium roast coffee, please?"

"Absolutely." Oh wow, he was cute _and_ polite? God have mercy on her, he was perfect. She concentrated on the coffee that she was pouring and definitely not at how handsome he was, standing there with his hip leaning against the counter. Oh no, definitely not.

"Here you go." Hana smiled, handing Tadashi the fresh cup of coffee. When he took the to-go cup, their hands brushed and there was a pleasant jolt from the contact. What was that?

"Thanks." Tadashi smiled too, and she wondered if he had felt that jolt too. He took a sip and the smile widened even more. Before he could say anything else though, his eyes drifted to the clock and he straightened up.

"Sorry, I have to head to class now. But thank you again." He shouldered the messenger bag that she just noticed he had and slipped out from behind the counter. He gave her that heart melting, body warming smile before he left. "I hope you have a good first day."

Her day already got a hundred times better. She didn't voice that thought out loud and offered him a smile and a thanks, watching him head towards the door. Someone else zipped past the front and towards Tadashi, whom had the door opened for the…young boy? That must've been the other nephew.

"So…what was _that_?"

Hana dodged Angela's gaze and pretended to adjust some things on the counter. It wasn't working that well and Angela probably wasn't buying it. "What was what?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"I really don't."

"Mhm, and elephants can fly." Angela crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow delicately, and Hana pouted a little. Childish move, but she couldn't help it.

Hana sighed and offered the girl a one shouldered shrug, trying to play it cool. "It was nothing. I thought he looked familiar, that's all. I saw him yesterday."

The other girl stayed silent for a second before speaking again. "Right. That was the oldest nephew and the one that flew past the front was the younger one, Hiro." She wasn't convinced, obviously, but Hana was glad she was letting it go for now.

The last thing she needed was for this to get out of hand; she had only just met the guy. She just thought Tadashi was really cute. Nothing more, nothing less.

Right?

* * *

**Hello! **

**Sorry for the long wait! I was so swamped with school the past week, but now I'm here. Thank you so much to everyone who favourited, followed, read, and reviewed! It means so much to me! Your kind words and support really touched my heart :) **

**~Mari**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Before Hana knew it, a week had flown by. Every day had been pleasant and exciting, thanks to her new job at the café. By the end of the week, the cash register was a piece of cake and the handcrafted espresso drinks were beginning to get easier. She got to know Angela and Cass a lot more too. Cass, her boss, was one of the kindest women she had ever met and tried to really get to know her. Same with Angela, who was really spunky and easy to talk to.

And then there was Tadashi. If perfection had a name, it would probably be Tadashi.

One thing she was extremely thankful for was her working hours. Cass had kept her on the early morning shift and every morning, she was able to see Tadashi before he left for school. It didn't hurt to say that she looked forward to seeing him every day.

"Hey, Hana."

Said girl nearly choked on the smoked ham wrap that she had stuffed into her mouth. Her head swiveled to the side and swallowed the food in her mouth. "Hi, Tadashi."

The young man stifled a yawn with one hand and rubbed his eye with the other. Despite how tired he seemed, it didn't stop him from smiling warmly. And her cheeks burned pink, like they constantly did when he was around.

"Are you on your break?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Just eating my lunch." Now that she thought about it, Tadashi hadn't come down early in the morning for his coffee. "You didn't go to school today?"

"It's Saturday today." Tadashi chuckled as he pulled out the chair adjacent to her and sat down.

"Oh!" Her eyes widened. Duh, Hana! It was the _weekend_. Way to be cool in front of the incredibly cute and smart guy. "I guess I lost track of time."

"I definitely know what you mean. I came home last night from school because I lost track of time."

"Lots of homework?"

He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his black hair. _Ooh_, she really liked how he did that. "Yeah, I had a project to finish up for one of my classes."

Homework and projects, huh? It had been months since she had last done something like that. Well, not since she graduated high school a few months ago. She wasn't sure if she missed that part of school.

"I can't say I miss homework and projects." Hana said, taking a bite of her wrap.

"You don't go to school?" It was really nice how he didn't sound judgemental at all, just genuinely curious. Like he wanted to get to know her more.

She shook her head in response and smiled sweetly. "Not yet. I'm taking a year off to earn some money. It's not easy coming to the big city to live independently."

"That's really brave of you, and admirable. What school were you thinking of applying to?"

"San Franskyoko Institute of Music and Fine Arts. I want to study to become a concert pianist. One of my favourite pianists graduated from there too." She couldn't help the excited edge in her voice as she told him. Piano had always been her passion and one of her life goals was to become a concert pianist like her role model. The only other person that knew about this was Angela, aside from her family back home. It was just so exciting to be able to tell someone else since she hadn't made any friends since coming to the big metropolis.

However, before she could blabber on, she stopped herself and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I was blabbing, huh?"

Tadashi shook his head and smiled softly. "Not at all. I think it's great that you want to be a concert pianist. And I think you can do it." The pure honesty and kindness that radiated from him really hit her and she felt her heart flutter. There was no exasperation or judgement or any other kind of negativity. Who would have thought that a little encouragement from him could make her feel like this?

"Thank y–"

"_Tadashi!_" A higher pitched, going-through-puberty voice called from upstairs, effectively cutting her off from whatever she was about to say next. What impeccable timing.

The older brother sighed and shook his head, good naturedly of course. Anyone could tell how much he loved his little brother, no matter how exasperated his sigh seemed. It was extremely sweet and heartwarming. "I'm really sorry, I have to go check on my brother."

Hana shook her head, some hair pieces that escaped her loose bun following the movement. "Hey, don't worry about it. There's nothing to apologize for. My break's almost done anyway."

Tadashi offered her a sheepish smile and ran his hand through his hair, something she noticed he did from time to time. "I'll talk to you later."

Once he disappeared towards the stairs that lead up to the house portion of the building, she turned on her heel to head back to work. Thankfully, the front of the café wasn't that busy and she found Angela rinsing off of the milk steaming pitchers. Hana sidled up to her and made herself useful by cleaning the counter.

"Did you talk with Tadashi?"

How did she know? "I did. How'd you guess?"

Angela shrugged and placed the small pitcher beside the espresso machine. "Maybe I'm psychic?" The older girl got a kick out of that when she saw Hana's amused expression before continuing on, "Kidding. I could just tell by your face."

"I have no idea what this look is." Hana rolled her eyes and pouted a little bit. She didn't want to know what Angela was talking about. Tadashi was just a great guy and really nice to talk to. It didn't mean anything more, right? Yes, that's right.

Yet, the more she told herself that, she became more skeptical of her own mantra.

* * *

**Surprise! I couldn't help myself with another update even if it's only been a couple of days. I really enjoy writing this story a lot. I even already have a sequel in mind, but this time for Hiro! I think I'm on a roll? Haha!**

**Once again, I want to thank everyone who favourited, followed, read, and reviewed! You guys are all so amazing and I want to give you all hugs. Thank you so much for the support! I'll be back with more fluff real soon, so stay tuned for more!**

**~Mari**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The following Monday, Hana realized she was really looking forward to go to work, not that she wasn't always feeling like that. But today, in particular, there was a light skip in her step. Most people hated Mondays and she used to be one of them, but not anymore. Why? Probably because it meant Tadashi would be going to school. Which ultimately meant she would be serving him his morning coffee and his favourite banana nut muffin.

Would she ever admit that to Angela? No, not yet. That girl didn't need another reason to tease her about whatever this feeling was.

As soon as she unlocked the café door and slipped inside, the smell of fresh brewing coffee wafted up her nose and her smile stretched out even further. Heading towards the back, she saw Cass plating freshly baked goods onto plates and into bowls.

"Good morning." Hana greeted Cass, grabbing her apron off the hook.

Cass smiled brightly and wiped her hands on her own apron. "Morning. You're very chirpy today. It's nice seeing that the Monday blues haven't affected you."

"Not today." Hana chuckled. "I think it's because I managed to get a good night's rest." _And I'm totally looking forward to seeing your oldest nephew_. Not that she would voice that out loud. She doubted her boss wanted to hear about how her employee thought of her nephew quite a bit.

"That's great. I could use one of those good night rests." Cass said and handed Hana a plate of muffins and a plate of cookies. "Could you take these out?"

"Yeah, of course." Giving one last smile to Cass, Hana carried the plates to the front where Angela was, obviously back from the bathroom or something.

"Hey, Hana." Angela greeted, "You're strangely chipper on a Monday morning."

"Am I?"

"Mhmmm." There was a slightly suggestive tone in way Angela said that, causing Hana to roll her eyes playfully.

"I just had a good night's sleep, that's all."

"Yeah, dreaming of Tadashi." Angela muttered quietly.

"Huh? I didn't catch that."

"Oh, nothing." Angela snickered lightly, ignoring Hana's accusatory stare. "Just said I wish I could've had a good night's sleep. I had to finish a paper last night." Angela groaned, almost in pain from remembering how annoying the paper had been and how long it had taken her to write it.

Now it was Hana's turn to snicker at her friend. "I definitely don't miss that." Though, in about a year, she'll probably be in the same position as Angela, writing about musical history and whatnot.

"You laugh now, but it'll happen to you. Soon, Hana, very soon." The older girl playfully pointed to her eyes and gestured to Hana in the 'I got my eyes on you' kind of way. "Now, please go get some more medium roast coffee. We ran out."

Laughing, Hana nodded and pushed off the edge of the counter. "Yes, yes, I'm going."

Slipping back into the kitchen, Hana made a beeline towards one of the lower cupboards only to find that the cupboards hadn't been restocked yet. Which could only mean they would be in the cupboards that are higher up.

Pulling up her sleeves to her elbows, she opened up the higher cupboards and saw the coffee grounds she needed. However, it was a little higher up than she initially thought. She could do it. Yeah, she probably wouldn't need a chair.

Standing on the tips of her toes, she extended her arm as far as she could. She made a quiet strangled noise when only the tips of her fingers brushed the side of the coffee pack.

"Damn, these short arms." She muttered under her breath before trying again. She leaned one hand against the counter and pushed up a bit as if that could help extend her body more.

The sound of footsteps descending down the stairs registered in her ears and paying no mind as Cass wouldn't tease her about this.

"This is a lot harder with my small stature. I should've thought this through." Hana said with a light laugh, half expecting Cass to laugh with her and the other half hoping Cass would magically conjure a coffee bag.

At first there was silence and Hana thought she must've been hearing things.

Then, her heart nearly stopped.

"Let me get that for you then."

Something warm and broad brushed against her backside, and a new arm extended upwards from behind her. A larger hand brushed passed hers and grabbed the thing she needed.

Swiftly from surprise, she turned around to come face to face with the one boy that had consumed her every thoughts during the weekend. Big, kind brown eyes pierced into hers and that stare alone filled every cell in her body with warmth.

_Tadashi._

It was as if time suddenly stood still and everything else around them became really fuzzy. No other sounds reached her ears except the pounding of her own heart. And, oh god, they were so close. _So close_. The only thing between them was her hands on his chest – his oh-so broad chest – and if he leaned down just an inch more, he could probably kiss her.

Kiss her?

As if that was a wakeup call, both of them quickly stepped to the side with blushes on their cheeks. Hana tucked some of her hair behind her ear nervously – which was probably tinged with red at the tips – and she snuck a glance at Tadashi. Their eyes met again before they shyly averted them away from each other.

Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly with his free hand. "Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

Hana shook her head furiously, her black hair following the motion. "No, no. You don't have to apologize." Because, let's face it, she enjoyed that way more than she thought she would.

"Oh right, I should probably give this to you." Their hands brushed and this time, he wasn't in a rush to bring his hand back. Neither was she.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." Just like how she appreciated having his chest touching her back. Oh god, Hana needed to get herself together before she ended up saying something incredibly stupid and weird to him.

Clearing her throat, she smiled at him sweetly. "Heading to school early today?"

"Yeah. I needed to meet with one of my professors and then study for one of my midterms. Figured I would work better at school." Tadashi replied, mirroring her smile with his trademark heart-stopping smile.

On top of everything else on the imaginary list, he was also studious?

"Which reminds me, I should probably start heading out now."

"Oh! Did you want some coffee?"

He gave her an apologetic smile and shook his head. "I wish I could, but I really do need to be heading out." His heart clenched when he saw her lower lip jut out dejectedly. Something inside him stirred and all he wanted to do was reach out and take that look away.

"Save me a cup for later though?" He added, loving the way her eyes brightened up from that single question. Together, they walked out of the kitchen and Tadashi gave her a smile, unaware of Angela's looks.

"Of course. I'll have a fresh cup ready for when you come back."

Tadashi flashed her one last smile and a wave, and she copied his gestures with her own. Watching him disappear down the sidewalk from the window, she resisted the urge to let the sigh she had been holding go. Instead, she turned around so she could grind up some of the coffee that Tadashi helped her retrieve. Angela was leaning her hip against the back counter, her arms crossed over her chest and a knowing smirk resting on her lips.

"Do _not_ say it." Hana grumbled, the apples of her cheeks suddenly tinged with pink.

The smirking girl only shrugged and feigned innocence. "I wasn't going to say anything."

Yeah, as if that was convincing.

* * *

Several hours later, her shift was finally over and she could head home. It was much too early for Tadashi to be back so she decided that tomorrow morning, she'd have a fresh cup of coffee waiting for him. However, before Hana could leave the kitchen, Cass stopped her.

"I know this is going to sound crazy since your shift is over, but could I ask for a favour?"

Not one to turn down someone in need, Hana nodded. "Of course. What can I help with?"

"Tadashi forgot his lunch and wallet, and I won't be able to leave the shop today. Would you mind if you brought this to him?" Cass held up a small paper bag and a leather wallet to show Hana. Judging by the slightly pleading look in her eyes and the way that the café was filling up for the lunch rush, doing this deed would really be helpful. Strangely enough, Hana felt a sense of happiness wash over her knowing Cass trusted her enough to offer her this task.

And maybe it didn't hurt to say that this meant she could see Tadashi outside of her work hours.

"I don't mind at all." Hana replied with a smile.

"Oh thank you, honey!" Cass surprised her by giving her a brief hug after handing Tadashi's lunch and wallet to her. It felt nice and comforting to be receiving a hug from her boss.

Thankfully, it only took around twenty minutes to get to Tadashi's school; fifteen for the trip there and then an extra five minutes to look around for the right building. She followed the directions that Cass wrote down for her on sticky note before Hana went on her way. And when she did find the correct building, her jaw nearly hit the ground from complete and utter awe.

_Woah_.

* * *

**How do you fluff? ****But yaaaay, the story is rolling along and there's going to be more interactions between Tadashi and Hana. Hiro will definitely be showing up soon as well!**

**Once again, thank you so so much to everyone who read, favourited, followed, and reviewed! You guys mean the world to me and I'm so grateful to you all.**

**Until the next chapter! Have a great day, everyone!**

**~Mari**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Tadashi was normally a studious student that always paid attention in class. Key word being '_normally_'. He really did make a huge effort to pay attention in class today, but his mind would keep wandering to what had occurred earlier this morning. How he had stood behind her while she tried reaching for something on the shelf and how their hands brushed together.

What had possessed him to do that? To be honest, he still wasn't quite sure. It seemed like a good idea at the time and he still thought it had been a good idea. Yet, now he couldn't get it out of his head. He and Hana had talked before, even if it was for brief moments at a time, but he had never been so close to her until today.

When their hands touched, he felt some sort of tingle. His mind played it off as some sort static shock, which made sense minus the fact he could still feel the tingling in his hand. And it was very pleasant.

The only thought that had really come to his mind were how cute and beautiful she was, even now he was thinking it. The way her eyes shone brightly, the way her hair was tied up into a ponytail with some of the loose hair framing her face, and how her dark brown hair had some bits of a redder shade when the sunlight hit it. Also, how she was several inches shorter than him and he could perfectly rest his chin on top of her head. And, he'd never gotten a close look at her eyes until today. They were a lighter brown colour, he wanted to say they were a hazel colour, and they were filled with so much warmth and purity. Had her eyes always been that beautiful?

He felt like such a fool for not noticing all of this before, but now he knew.

"Hellooo, earth to Tadashi Hamada." A gloved hand waved in front of his eyes suddenly and startled, Tadashi snapped out of his thoughts.

"Huh? What?" He finally focused on what was currently happening and he noticed that all his friend's were staring at him with various different expressions. Honey Lemon looked rather concerned, Gogo seemed unamused as she blew another bubble with her gum, and Fred looked like … well, Fred.

"Were you listening?" Gogo asked, arms crossed over her chest.

Tadashi smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I got a bit distracted."

"Are you okay, Tadashi?" Honey Lemon asked kindly.

"Did the midterm fry your brain? Oh! Oh! Do we need to make a device that'll restart your brain and then you'll gain a lot of new and different abilities?" Fred asked excitedly and bounced on his feet a little.

"It really doesn't work like that..." Honey Lemon mumbled quietly, hands clasped together.

"What's up?" Gogo asked, repeating Honey Lemon's question in her own kind of way.

Tadashi chuckled, touched by all their concerns. "My brain didn't get fried from the midterm. I'm okay, I really did just get distracted."

Luckily before they could press him for more information, Wasabi's voice interrupted them causing them all to face him. And when Tadashi did, his stomach did a nervous flip-flop.

"Hey, Tadashi, she said she was looking for you." Wasabi said while walking over with Hana.

"Hana, what're you doing here?" Tadashi smiled, meeting her halfway to walk with her too.

She smiled shyly, noticing the group of people he had been with staring at her as they were making their way over to them. "Oh, um, you left your lunch and wallet so your aunt asked me to bring them to you. Since my shift ended and stuff. She wanted to, but the café got busy right before I left."

Oh, how could he be so forgetful? Forgetting his lunch was one thing, but his wallet too? And then Hana went through the trouble of coming all the way here. "I'm so sorry. You had to go through the trouble to come out here, and you probably had things to do." He felt so terrible.

She shook her head and smiled sweetly. "It's not trouble at all. I didn't have any plans, unless you consider going home and watching Netflix the rest of the day a type of 'plan'."

He chuckled and then someone – Wasabi – cleared their throat to get his attention. He glanced at his friends, whom all looked back at him expectantly, before it registered in his brain. Maybe Fred was right, maybe his brain had been fried. But it definitely wasn't because of the midterm, that's for sure.

"Hana, these are my friends. Gogo, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and Fred." He gestured to each person and then gestured to Hana. "Guys, this is my friend Hana."

A blush flared up on her cheeks when he didn't introduce her as 'the girl who works at the café', but as _friend _instead. He considered her one of his friends.

With a smile, she lifted her hand and gave them a friendly wave. "Hi, everyone. It's nice to meet you." A chorus of welcoming voices greeted her back and her smile stretched further.

Honey Lemon smiled brightly and shook her hand just as excitedly. "Nice to meet you too! Do you go to this school?"

"Oh, no. I work at Tadashi's Aunt's café."

"Oooh! That's so nice. They have the best chocolate chip cookies." Honey was such a nice girl, Hana couldn't help but smile along with her.

Actually, everyone was incredibly sweet and kind to her. Tadashi surrounded himself with such great and intelligent people because he himself were both. And what about her? She wasn't nearly as smart and great; she was so average compared to Tadashi and his friends. Plus, Honey Lemon and Gogo were really pretty. Gogo had that cool, badass girl aura with an edgy style and Honey Lemon was the tall, bubbly girl with a cutesy style. Hana? She was neither.

_God, don't do this to yourself, Hana._

That sobered her up a little bit. This was neither the place nor time to be wallowing in self-pity. That was for later while eating out of the ice cream bucket and watching Netflix.

"Why don't I show you around?" Tadashi spoke up and gestured to the huge lab.

"Oh, yes please."

The others took that as a cue to go their separate ways to finish up homework or projects or finish reading the latest comic book issue. Hana waved to them and watched them go before following Tadashi through the robotics lab. Everything was so fascinating! There were so many projects being built from various stages of development and there were a few that were doing some test runs. There was so much brilliance and creativity in each and every one of the projects.

"Wow, this is so cool." Hana said in awe as Tadashi showed her around.

She was adorable, Tadashi thought to himself. The look of pure amazement that was etched on her face was priceless and adorable. Was it normal to feel like someone just unleashed a bunch of butterflies in his stomach?

"Is this your first time in this kind of lab?"

"Yeah definitely. I don't think we had this kind of thing back home." She replied and tapped one of the machines as they passed by. "Well, nothing this advanced."

He chuckled and motioned for her to come down the hallway. Approaching the door, he opened it for her like the gentleman he was and swept his other arm to gesture to the whole room. "This is my lab space."

_Daaaamn_.

"Oh, wow." A breath of admiration escaped her lungs and her eyes darted around the expansive room, unsure of where to look at first. The room itself was very tidy and filled with technology she couldn't even begin to name. There were several desks placed around the room with some papers neatly stacked on top and little organizer shelves, posters of science-y things on the walls, a book shelf full of books and textbooks, and a circular window at the far back wall.

"This is where I spend most of my time if I'm not in classes or at home."

"Basically your second home."

Tadashi smiled at that and nodded. "Yeah, basically."

"This is amazing. I can see why this would be your second home. The only thing missing is a bed." She giggled lightly. Though, she didn't doubt he probably had blankets and a futon somewhere.

Suddenly remembering what she had originally come here for, she dug into her bag and brought out a lunch bag and wallet. "I almost forgot this." She held the items out to him, blushing when their hands made contact.

"Thank you again. It was really nice of you." His lips curved into that irresistible smile again and he continued on, "Have you had lunch yet? We can share this."

Biting her bottom lip in thought, she shook her head slowly. "Are you sure?"

"Very." He walked to one of the desks and pulled the chair out for her. She couldn't say no. She didn't want to say no. Not when there was a chance to be with him a little longer. So, steeling herself she sat down gracefully – or she hoped it was – and watched as he pulled up a second chair next to her.

"We can share this." He offered her half of the sub his Aunt had prepared and smiled at her. He saw the hesitance flash in her eyes, but his smile never faltered. Only when she took the half and bit into it did he take a bite himself.

"Ah!" The sudden outburst surprised him as he watched her dig into her bag and bring out a thermos. She handed it to him with her free hand and smiled shyly. "The coffee I promised you."

"You remembered." Something inside Tadashi stirred when he realized that Hana had indeed remembered their talk earlier in the morning. It was a small gesture, but for some reason, it had such a big impact. He wasn't sure what _it_ was yet.

Pouring coffee in the thermos cup, he passed it to her and grabbed a different cup on his desk to pour himself some. From over the rim of his cup, Tadashi watched her take a delicate sip and he smiled sweetly at her.

And Hana swore his smile could cure cancer or something. It definitely did wonders to her heart and feelings.

* * *

**This might be my longest chapter yet. I really tried keeping everyone in character and I'm not sure if they were 8'D Sorry, sorry. It's moving along though! There's going to be more fluff to come and hopefully some silliness! **

**Thank you everyone for reading, following, favouriting, and reviewing! They really brighten up my day during these tough last few weeks of my semester, so thank you from the bottom of my heart! Group hug? :D**

**~Mari**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"So, he showed you around his robotics lab and you guys had lunch together?"

"Mhm, basically."

"Is that _really_ all?" Angela asked, a suggestive tone laced in her voice.

"Yes, that really is all." Hana rolled her eyes as she lifted up a shirt to inspect it closely.

Today was a day off for both of them had Angela had invited Hana along to go shopping with her. It was really kind of the older girl to invite her out and Hana took the opportunity to get to know her co-worker more. Though, she was more of a friend now than a co-worker. Plus, now that she was making a bit of pocket money, she could splurge on a shirt or two. Then, at one point, Hana spilled the beans to Angela about what happened the day before, but with the amount of teasing and suggestive tones, she was beginning to regret her choice.

"Whaaaat? That's so boring." Angela drawled, a pout on her lips as she shifted through the hangers in search of something that would catch her eye.

Hana shook her head in exasperation while refolding the shirt she had picked up. "I'm not even sure what you were expecting. It wasn't anything like that, trust me." Plus, it hadn't been boring to her. She and Tadashi had gotten to know each other more.

"Well, do you want it to be something?"

For some reason, that question caught her off guard. Did she? She'd only known Tadashi for almost three weeks now and they'd been gradually began talking more. She loved talking with him and getting to know him more.

"I'm not…sure." It was the truth. While she couldn't deny the fact that he made her feel all fuzzy on the inside, a part of her was hesitant. It wasn't that she was new to the whole dating thing, but not all of her relationships had been successful. Not that she expected to end up dating him or anything. Plus, there were so many smarter girls that went to that school and some of them were even in the lab. For example, Honey Lemon and Gogo.

Frowning to herself, Hana shook her head to get rid of those poisonous thoughts before they spread. Both Honey Lemon and Gogo were great people, and they shouldn't be thought of like that.

"Did you find anything?" Angela asked, cutting through her thoughts. Grateful for the change of subject, Hana shook her head and lifted her purse up higher on her shoulder. Angela agreed that there was nothing that caught her eye too, and the both of them left.

As they were going down the escalator to the first level of the mall, the sound of music reached Hana's ears and she swiveled her head to the source of the sound. There, at the big fountain near the mall's entrance, she saw a small group of people playing music. A string quartet, to be exact. And without a second thought, Hana gravitated towards them as soon as she got off the escalator and joined the small crowd that had gathered.

They didn't look much older than her, but they were incredibly talented. Hana closed her eyes and let the music take over. Everything was pretty point on, their tempo, their pitch, and their dynamics. The sound of their instruments matched well together and their pitches were very accurate. All in all, they were amazing and it was obvious that they practiced together for a long time.

However, all too soon the music was over and the small crowd erupted into loud clapping and whistling. Hana clapped just as loud as everyone, excited that she was able to hear such an amazing performance.

"I may not know much about music, but they were really good." Angela spoke up from beside her, surprising Hana a little. She had been so lost in the music that she forgot she was at the mall with Angela.

Hana nodded excitedly. "Yeah, they're so amazing. I wonder if they go to some sort of musical academy."

"We do, but we also go to the Institute of Music and Fine Arts." A new voice chimed in and both girls turned to see one of the members of the quartet standing near them. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help overhear your excitement."

True enough, the crowd had dispersed leaving only the quartet, Hana and Angela. It wasn't like she was quiet about either so of course someone overheard her. It just happened to be the cute cellist from the quartet.

"My name is Evan." The tall brunet offered his free hand while his other held the neck of his cello.

Flustered, Hana shook his hand and smiled. "I'm Hana, and this is my friend Angela. You said you go to San Franskoyo Institute of Music and Fine Arts?"

"Yeah. Are you a student as well?"

"Not yet, but I'm hoping to attend next year." Determination burned in her eyes as she said this, and her strong desire to go to her dream school bubbled inside her. After hearing Evan and his group, the desire became even stronger than before.

"What do you play?" Evan asked, cutely tilting his head to the side.

"Piano. I've been playing for as long as I can remember." Hana replied, amazed at how easily she was talking to him. Maybe it was because some sort of her that felt comfortable with the fact that they were talking about one of her loves, music.

"That's awesome. I'll probably seeing you around at school then, huh?" Evan grinned cheekily.

Hana giggled, waggling her eyebrows a little. "I guess you will." Wow, waggling her eyebrows? She was definitely warming up to this Evan guy really quickly. Mostly because they had some common ground.

"Yo, Evan! We're heading out to eat now so hurry your ass up." One of the violinists called out to the brunet.

Evan sighed before smiling down at Hana. "It was nice to meet you. See you around, Hana."

"You too. Bye." She waved, watching the tall boy pack up his cello and leave with his friends.

Suddenly, there was a nudge on her arm and the shorter girl looked up at Angela, whom was giving her a look. _That_ look. "Ooh, Hana. Talking it up with a stranger?"

"I was not. He was being nice and he goes to my dream school." Hana huffed while rolling her eyes, a blush dusting her cheeks. Angela laughed out loud and patted the shorter girl's shoulder reassuringly.

"It's so cute how you get all worked up." Angela teased. It was easy to make the girl flustered and Angela, being the hilarious person she was, loved to teasing Hana. All in good nature, of course. Never were the teasings rude or mean in any way. With a giggle, Angela linked arms with Hana and dragged her to a different store.

* * *

**_\- The Next Day _-**

The café was bustling lively towards the afternoon and Hana was starting to get used to the slight rush. The drinks were definitely getting easier to make and she was getting the hang of handling everything else. Today, it was Angela's day off, but even without her guidance, Hana was able to handle things well.

"One caramel macchiato, please." Hana said, passing over a paper cup with the right amount of syrup.

"Thanks." Tadashi smiled, taking the cup from her.

Since Angela wasn't working today, Cass had asked Tadashi to fill in the morning shift with Hana. It wasn't his first time working in the café, but it was his first time working with Hana. But it was so much fun. They meshed well together when they worked and they even had a bit of a system going. It was as if they were a well-oiled machine.

"The crowd's finally dying down a little." Tadashi said once he finished the drink. He leaned his hip against the counter and smiled at Hana, whom was stretching her arms over her head.

"Mhm. I can give my feet a rest now." She smiled widely and rolled her ankles around to loosen them up. "There's probably a lot of people because it's Saturday."

"And it's a really nice day." He was right. The sun was shining brightly and there wasn't a single cloud in the clear blue sky. It was the perfect day for people to gather, for families to go out, for couples to have an outdoorsy date. Although both of them were working, they were still having fun. Hana wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Plus, she and Tadashi were able to spend some time together.

"Any plans for the weekend?" Hana asked casually, resting her hands in the apron pocket.

Tadashi crossed his arms over his broad chest and made the most adorable thinking face. "Not at the moment. Probably work a bit on my robotics project for class. You?"

"Same. I mean, not the robotics project. I don't have much planned, is what I meant." She smiled and when he chuckled, she felt her heart swell.

"Hana?" An oddly familiar voice called out to her and she turned to see the guy from yesterday. The cellist boy!

"Evan, right?" Hana grinned, leaning her stomach against the counter.

The brunet eagerly nodded his head, pleased that she remembered his name. His green eyes sparkled with cheerfulness as he walked up to the cash register to talk to her. Tadashi raised his eyebrow curiously and peered at the newcomer, wondering who he was.

"Yeah. Wow, bumping into each other again? Some would call this fate, you know."

"And I call it a coincidence." The girl responded smoothly without skipping a beat and laughed softly after. Apparently, Evan was a bit of a tease as well. "What can I get you?"

"Just an Americano, please." Once he paid for his drink, they began talking once again. She asked about his day and if he was on his way to performing, and he replied that his day went well and that he was actually relaxing the whole day. It was as if they were old friends catching up and having fun. And something about it didn't sit well with Tadashi. It wasn't that the guy seemed suspicious – oh no, the guy, Evan, seemed like an incredibly nice guy. A bit of a flirt, but sweet. That's what had him all…like this.

Something deep inside was stirring in him. Quickly, and mentally, he gave his head a bit of a shake to get himself out of those thoughts. He didn't want to delve too deep into whatever thoughts and feelings that was.

* * *

**Oh my gosh, it's been so long! I'm so sorry for the long wait! Good news though, I finished my semester and now it's summer vacation! I was just finishing up my final essays for some classes and actually, I went to comic con this week! It was so much fun! I bought a lot of posters and prints, ahaha. **

**But yes! Chapter 7! It was a long time coming and I hope it was okay! And gasp, who is this Evan? And what is this feeling that Tadashi is feeling? Dun dun dunnn... Hahaha! Just kiddinggg. Do not be frighteneddd! The story is progressing and Evan is spicing things up a bit, huh? In any case, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I will definitely have the next chapter up as soon as I can! **

**Once again, I huge, huge thank you to everyone who's reviewed, favourited, followed, and read this story. All of your guys' support means to whole to me and I wish I could give you all the highest of fives! **

**~Mari**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Usually, Hana spent her Sunday evenings in her pyjamas, eating Chinese takeout, and watching her favourite comedy shows. It was her 'take it easy' kind of evening, since she hadn't made many friends yet in the city. Just a relaxing night with her funny shows.

Tonight was not one of those nights.

Instead of a television screen, big brown eyes were staring at her and blinked curiously, causing Hana to fidget a bit. An adorable chubby cat rubbed its cheek against her calf and she reached down to stroke its head. While she did, those big brown eyes followed her movement and god, she needed to strike up a conversation.

"So…Hiro, right?"

"Yuuuup." The boy popped the 'p' at the end and didn't say anything more.

Oh man, this was so awkward she could cut through it with a butter knife. Just how did she end up in this situation?

**~ _Earlier that day ~_**

"Hey, Hana, could I talk to you for a second, please?" Cass said, poking her head out from the kitchen. Hana's head swiveled around while washing one of the steel pitchers and nodded, worry washing over her body. Once Cass disappeared into the kitchen again, Hana stared at Angela with the widest eyes.

"Why do you think she wants to see me?" Concern yet a bit of fear seeped through her question.

"Not sure. Maybe she knows you want to tap Tadashi's ass." Angela joked, giggling.

Hana, however, was not amused as she put the pitcher on the drying rack. "That is so not true." Okay, maybe a little, but that wasn't really important right now. "Maybe I forgot something during inventory check."

"I think we tripled checked before we wrote everything down." Angela patted the shorter girl's shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry so much and go talk to her."

"Right…yeah." Steeling herself, Hana walked into the kitchen where Cass was putting a tray of cookies into the oven. Wiping her hands dry on her apron, Hana walked over to her boss and smiled. "What did you need to talk about?"

"Are you busy tonight?" Cass asked, closing the oven door and smiling at the young girl.

Busy tonight? Hazel eyes blinked curiously and she shook her head. "Not tonight. Did you need me to work overtime?"

"Yes and no. This might be a wild thing to ask and feel free to say no. You can totally back out of this if you want." Cass cleared her throat. "Would you be able to babysit Hiro? Tadashi has a study group and I have to go somewhere tonight. I didn't know who else to ask."

Babysit? Hiro? This was a whirlwind of information at once. But Cass's smile and hopeful eyes really won her over and Hana couldn't help nodding her head.

**~ _Present _~**

Right…that was how she got into this. Cass had been so delighted and had promised to pay her for this as well. She even left money for dinner if they planned on ordering food.

And now, here she was with Hiro and their cat, Mochi. Hiro just staring at her and Mochi curled at her feet. They'd been like this for twenty minutes and she had no idea how to start up a conversation with a twelve year old.

"So, what grade are you in?"

"Eleventh grade. I'm graduating next year."

Scratch that, a _genius_ twelve year old kid.

"Really? That's amazing." Hana smiled sweetly at the young boy. Hiro offered her a small smile, but the same silence fell over them and he opted to just stare at her again. He didn't seem nervous at all whereas she sat there fidgeting and trying to think of something to do or say. It wasn't her first time babysitting. No, there were times back when she was still back in her hometown and she had to babysit some neighbourhood kids. That was in the past though. Now, she was older and sitting in front of a super intelligent almost-teenager.

"Are you thinking of going to the same school as Tadashi?" Hana spoke up, hoping she could clear the ice.

"That nerd school with the nerd himself? Nahh."

"You call that place the nerd school?" A delicate eyebrow rose up and the corners of her lips tugged upwards, even though she tried hard to fight the giggle that forced its way up. Oh, now she was incredibly amused. Hiro's brown eyes twinkled and a boyish smile appeared on his face too. When he smiled like that, she could see the resemblance between him and Tadashi. It was actually really adorable.

Hiro's shoulders eased as he leaned back into the sofa chair and rested his laced fingers on top of his stomach. "Yeah, only nerds go there."

This time, the giggle escaped and the nervousness began to disappear. "Oh really?" She smiled widely. "Aren't you the twelve year old in junior year?"

"But I'm so much cooler."

"Yeah, you're a pretty cool twelve year old." Hana grinned. "If not college, what do you want to do?"

The moment she asked, he leaned up excitedly and she noticed how his eyes brightened up with that young, boyish charm. "Bot-fighting."

That was sort of unexpected, but it seemed both brothers loved robotics. Though, one was in a robotics school and the other wanted to do robot battling things. "Isn't that illegal?"

"No, no. _Betting_ on it is illegal, but bot-fighting itself isn't." There was excitement in his voice as he began explaining the specifics of bot-fighting to her. He looked like a young boy on Christmas morning that just and it warmed her heart. There definitely was a resemblance between the two Hamada brothers.

"Wait, wait. You guys have work station lab thingy in your garage?"

"Yeah! I can show you sometime and the stuff I've been working on."

Hana giggled and wiggled her eyebrows teasingly. "Oooh, is this a date?" She was totally joking, but it got Hiro stuttering and blushing like crazy. The awkwardness that had hung in the air before had dissipated completely and now it was as if it had never occurred. Talking became easier, and the joking and teasing came naturally to both of them. This must be what it felt like to have a younger sibling, huh?

"W-what? No way! Ewwww! It's not a date. You're crazy." He sputtered with bright red cheeks and he crossed his arms over his chest childishly. She was sure if he could, he would've stomped his foot as well.

She really couldn't help herself. Laughter bubbled out of her and she had to clutch her stomach because it started to hurt a little from the laughter. His expression was cute and priceless at the same time.

"I know, I know. I'm kidding, Hiro." She grinned and she reached over to ruffle his already messy hair before standing up. "So, how's about we order some pizza? Then maybe after we can make cookies or cupcakes?"

The pout didn't leave his face, but he nodded. "Okay, fine. Pizza sounds good, but don't forget to ask for extra cheese."

In a few minutes, the pizza was ordered and she had pulled Hiro put from the sofa chair and into the kitchen. Digging around the fridge – she had asked Cass for permission beforehand, of course – she grabbed two heads of romaine lettuce and instructed the younger boy to wash it for her.

"This is child labour, you know." Hiro grumbled, but nonetheless did as he was told.

Hana chuckled as she chopped some tomatoes into wedges. "Oh, c'mon kiddo, you and I both know it's not."

"Don't call me that. I'm not a kiddo." His bottom lip jutted out cutely. "Plus, why are we even having salad?"

"You're younger than me therefore you qualify as a kiddo." She countered while tossing the tomatoes into a big salad bowl. "As for the salad, I thought that it would be a nice side dish. Something healthy to go with the pizza."

"So basically you want to have a healthy side choice while we're pigging out on pizza?" There was a hint of amusement in his question and she nudged him with her elbow, which only had him chuckling. Jeez, this kid. She shook her head while grinning and started chopping up some cucumber slices.

Once the salad was finished, they set up the coffee table with their plates and cups, and not long after that the pizza arrived; two medium pizzas, one loaded with meat and extra cheese, and the other was a deluxe. Thank god for the salad.

After fending off Mochi from having any pizza, Hiro and Hana dug in. They were barely on their second slice when Hiro spoke up.

"Do you like Tadashi?"

The question caught her off guard and she nearly choked on her soda. She coughed painfully to try and let the soda out of her throat as she pounded on her chest. It was a miracle she didn't spray it out.

"What makes you think that?" She wheezed out and her eyes darted to look at the young boy, whom stared at her with half lidded yet curious eyes. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her answer. "He's a nice friend."

"I'm twelve, not stupid." He deadpanned, taking a bite out of his pizza slice. Hana wasn't sure who was worse, Angela or Hiro.

Hana sighed and started nibbling on a cucumber slice. "There's nothing between us. We talk and stuff." Why in the world was she telling a teenager this? Especially Tadashi's younger brother, who seemed to be too smart for his own good sometimes. It was amazing how she had easily opened up to the kiddo even when she wasn't even sure about her own feelings.

"Tadashi's cool, I guess. A total nerd, but he took care of me since I was a baby."

That made her smile softly. Tadashi did seem like that kind older brother type. Even when Hiro was mentioned during their conversations, she could tell how much he cared for his younger brother. That must've been what it was like to have a sibling, older or younger. A part of her was a bit envious of that kind of relationship because she didn't have any siblings.

"Are you guys eating pizza?" A new voice cut through and Tadashi appeared in the living room with his messenger bag on one shoulder. He smiled when he saw Hana sitting on the couch eating pizza with his little knucklehead of a brother. Silently, he thanked the heavens for ending his study group early.

"Mhm, you want a slice? We have deluxe pizza –"

"And meat with extra cheese, right?" Tadashi finished with a smile as he rested his messenger bag against the couch. He disappeared into the kitchen to grab himself a plate and also to wash his hands before he plopped down next to Hana. "So what're you guys talking about?"

Hana's cheeks tinted pink and she gave a nervous laugh. "We were, just, uh, talking about –"

"About how we were going to make cookies after, but I can't because I have something to do. You should make cookies with her in my stead." Hiro quickly supplied, being really smooth. And oh god, Hiro Hamada really was a rascal.

Tadashi nodded and grinned. "Yeah, I'd love to."

A really, really genius rascal.

* * *

**Hey, everyone!**

**This is just part 1 of this babysitting gig. Cookie baking time will be the next chapter ;) I'm sort of iffy about this chapter so I might edit it later. But I hope it turned out sort of okay. **

**Did you hear about the sequel for Big Hero 6 and how Tadashi might be alive? When I read the news, another idea struck me! I know, I know, I'm getting ahead of myself. It's also an AU based on this 'Tadashi might be alive, but not a good guy'. I was thinking of an AU of BH6 and this story, but we'll see! It'll probably be a super short series if I do intend on writing it. **

**In any case, I would like to thank everyone for their continuous love and support! Thank you so much to everyone who favourited, followed, reviewed, and read this story! Until next time!**

**~Mari**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

After Tadashi had a few slices of pizza, Hiro ran off up to his room to work on his 'robots', Hana began cleaning up the coffee table. Neatly, she stacked up the plates and put them in the empty salad bowl while Tadashi put the left over pizza slices into one box. She didn't even need to ask him, he had just got up and started helping her clean up. Unlike a certain someone…_Hiro_. But, this was probably part of his scheme too.

"Sorry about my brother. He usually helps with cleaning up." Tadashi apologized, shaking his head at his little brother.

"It's okay. The two of us were able to get it done." She smiled sweetly as she placed the dishes in the sink. There weren't many dishes so it didn't take her long to clean them and place them on the drying rack. In the meantime, Tadashi had put the garbage away and used a damp cloth to clean up the coffee table. It was weird how _natural_ it seemed, as if this was a really normal thing for them.

"So what're we baking?"

"Hm?"

Tadashi chuckled, noticing she had been in deep thought before he interrupted. He felt kind of bad, but he also thought her questioning look was kind of cute. "Sorry, I mean, what kind of cookies are we baking?"

"Oooh." Hana laughed too as she dried her hands on the kitchen towel. "I brought over some dark chocolate chips so…how's dark chocolate chip cookies?"

"That sounds perfect. Let me get all the baking stuff out." And like the gentleman he was, Tadashi began bringing out all the things they'd need as Hana read out the material list. Together, they neatly put them on the island and got the oven pre-heating.

Taking out the measuring cups, she passed him one and scrolled down her phone for the recipe. "Okay, so, I'll get the butter melted while you measure out two cups of flour and half a cup of sugar?"

"I'm on it." He grinned and rolled up his sleeves. Hana couldn't help but stare as he did so, admiring the way his forearms look. Actually, his arms were really nice and he looked like he worked out a little. Probably from building his robotics projects too.

Once she put in the melted butter along with the other ingredients, she turned on the mixer and let it all incorporate. Then, when it was done mixing, Tadashi took a spoon and picked some of the cookie dough up.

"You're going to eat that?" Hana asked curiously.

"Yeah. I used to do this ever since I was a kid. Aunt Cass would let me taste some cookie dough before she popped them into the oven." He smiled and ate the dough, nodding in content.

"Is it good?"

"Mhm, it's really delicious. Sweet, but not too sweet. Wanna try?" Hana could only look at him with a slightly worried face and a huge smile stretched across his face. "You've never tried, have you?"

She shook her head fast, some of her hair flying around with the motion. "Never, ever."

"You should try it. It's really good."

"Is it okay? I won't get sick?"

Tadashi chuckled and shook his head. The sound of his laughter was so heartwarming she almost melted right on the spot, just like the butter from earlier. "A little bit should be okay. The eggs were bought yesterday so they should be fresh."

There was hesitation in her eyes as he spooned a tiny bit of cookie dough, making sure to get a chocolate chip as well. Hana knew some people liked to eat it and other cookie dough flavoured things, but she had never tried any herself. To be honest, it never occurred to her to try it. The look in Tadashi's eyes, though, made her want to give it a shot. It never hurt to try new things anyway. So finally, she leaned forward to the spoon Tadashi was holding out for her and tentatively ate the mixture.

"Good, right?" Tadashi grinned, looking hopeful.

And surprisingly, he was right. The sweet taste of the dough filled her taste buds and the dark chocolate chip tasted perfect inside. There was that subtle uncooked flour flavour, but the chocolatey and sweet flavour masked that well. When these cookies were baked, they would taste wonderful.

"Yeah, you're right. It's actually pretty good." She grinned too, then reached out to poke his side playfully. "But I'm only doing it this time."

"That's what you say now. But you'll probably steal a few bites when we make cookies next time." He chuckled as he placed the spoon down. '_We_', he said, because he hoped that they would do this again sometime. It wasn't often that they spent time together outside of her work time and his school time. So something about tonight, about right now, seemed right.

"Oh yeah? We'll see if you're right about that." She winked in a light-hearted manner.

The cookie dough was formed into little balls on the cookie sheet and Hana popped it into the oven. It would be awhile until they were finished so the dishes could be washed in the meantime. Luckily, there weren't many dishes to wash so Tadashi finished the rest himself.

Suddenly, an idea hit her.

Inching close to his side, she pretended to watch him a little and made sure he was concentrating on the washing. Then swiftly, she scooped up some bubbles with the tips of her fingers and blew it against his cheek.

There was a pause. He looked stunned before loud laughter poured out from him. Both of them laughed together, Hana giggling over his previous expression. She hadn't thought it would be that funny, but his look got her.

"So that's how you wanna play, huh?" Tadashi gave her a wicked grin and he put the whisk he was washing down. He stuck his hands under the running water to wet them even more before he turned to flick all of his fingers at her.

"Ah!" Hana squealed loudly, trying to shield her face from his water attack. That only fueled him to flick more water at her. Before he knew it, she was sticking her hands under the water and flicking him. It was an all-out water flicking war. Tadashi laughed again because it was fun and because he liked this side of her too. The more he spent time with her, the more he got to see all sides of her. It was really nice.

"You won't win this one, Hana." He grinned teasingly.

She squealed again to block the water. "No fair. Your hands are bigger than mine so you can get more water." She was going to pout playfully, but she couldn't help the giggle that spewed out instead.

"Ahem."

Hana and Tadashi froze.

"You're wasting water." Hiro deadpanned, his eyes half-lidded to show how unamused he was. As if his words were a spark, Hana and Tadashi sprang away from each other and averted their eyes elsewhere. The young boy watched as both of their faces turned red and he swore, he had never seen Tadashi's cheeks flare up that bright. Not even when he got mad at Hiro.

Without even saying a word, he continued watching them finish whatever tasks they were trying to busy themselves with before trudging back upstairs. The moment he was in the safety of his room, the most knowing and most smug smile spread across his face.

"Tadashi has a crush. Tadashi has a crush." Hiro sang under his breath. And as all genius little brothers do, he filed away that little tidbit for the future. It will definitely come in handy.

* * *

**Hey all,**

**It was a long time coming, but here's part two of babysitting night. This chapter took me forever to write and I have no idea why. I'm hoping the next chapter will be better! There will be more to come, I promise. Evan will make another appearance! We haven't seen the last of that cute cellist. **

**Thank you all for the kind and encouraging reviews! Thank you for the follows and favourites too! You guys are seriously amazing and I wish I could hug each one of you :D**

**~Mari**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Sunday night had been quite interesting. It had started off normally with Hana and Hiro just hanging out while eating pizza. Then once Tadashi had arrived, Hiro had left them together to bake cookies, and Tadashi and Hana had fooled around playfully. But then, Hiro caught them goofing off and after that, the two of them had taken the goofiness down a few notches. Fortunately, Cass had arrived not long after and after insisting, she had given Hana a ride back to her apartment since it had been late. For the rest of that night, she had laid in her bed and replayed the evening with Tadashi in her head a few times.

Luckily, her shift at the café was in the afternoon the next day. That meant she could avoid telling Angela about the babysitting and baking with Tadashi. That girl would definitely get a kick out of hearing that. Hana could hear and see it now: Angela doing that suggestive eyebrow wiggle and saying "oh la la" in an equally suggestive tone. Just thinking about that had Hana rolling her eyes in exasperation.

Stifling a yawn, she fished her out her lanyard that had all her necessary keys from out of her pocket and unlocked the front door of the café. The moment she stepped through, the smell of fresh coffee wafted up her nose and it was like a warm welcoming. The smell of it was enough to wake her up a bit more and she was sure a cup of it would give her that kick start she needed.

"Morning, Cass." She called out loudly as she walked across the floor so she could get to the back. The muffled sound of Cass' greeting was heard from the back kitchen, followed by the sound of the oven closing.

"Hey, Hana." Tadashi greeted as soon as stepped out from the kitchen in a black apron the baristas all wore and a plate of freshly baked muffins in his hands. Hana almost had a misstep when he emerged from the back, surprise colouring her face because she wasn't expecting him.

"Good morning. I didn't know you were working today."

"My morning class was cancelled this morning so I said I told my aunt that I could fill in the morning shift."

Some deep part of her was actually _glad_ that they were working together. It wasn't often they worked together and, surprisingly, after last night – despite it being awkward after – she found she enjoyed being around him. There was something about his presence that put her at ease, even if he flustered her from time to time. It was a positive kind of thing that she couldn't really explain all too well, even to herself.

"I guess I'm in luck. I was wondering who I was going to work with this morning since it's Angela's day off." Hana said, slipping her apron on as well. "Maybe I'll wow you with my latte making skills. I've gotten way better."

He chuckled and placed the muffins inside the glass case with the other freshly baked goods. "I don't doubt it. You're a really fast learner."

"Thanks." She smiled widely while bringing out the necessary equipment for making drinks. "Angela even taught me how to make the leaf in the lattes."

"Will you show me later?"

"Yeah, of course. Just don't be too wow-ed when I blow your mind."

Tadashi laughed, which in turn made her smile really widely at him. Making him laugh like that felt really good and she could feel her chest puff up in what could only be explained as pride. Proud because it was her who had gotten him to laugh just now.

* * *

When the morning rush passed by without incident, Hana and Tadashi were finally able to take a breather. At one point, Cass had come out to help because the line had grown a tad long, but once the crowd dwindled down, she went back inside to bake some more goods. Now, there were only a few people sitting at the tables doing their morning stuff, whether it be reading the newspaper or grabbing breakfast with a friend.

Now that it wasn't busy, Hana could finally show Tadashi her – still beginner – skills at latte art. From the corner of her eye, she could see him watching intently and full of interest. His gaze prickled the side of her face, not in an unpleasant way, and a blush rose up on her cheeks. Thank god, he couldn't see though because she was facing the espresso machine.

"Prepared to be amazed, Hamada." Hana said in mock pride, puffing out her chest to emphasize that while glancing at him.

The corner of his mouth tugged up in amusement. He leaned his hip against the counter and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Alright. Bring it on, Park."

There was a moment of silence as the espresso brewed into the cup and the milk began frothing in the steel pitcher. Hana tapped the now warm pitcher gently to bring all the foam up to the top before pouring the milk into the cup with measured speed. Then finally, she carefully made the leaf shape with the foam.

"There. All done." She announced with a wide smile. This might have been the best leaf yet. Actually proud of her work, she passed it along to Tadashi.

He peered down with an unreadable expression, his eyes squinting to scrutinize the art. Then, a wide smile bloomed on his lips, easing the anticipation that Hana had felt. "This is really good. Mind if I drink this?"

"Not at all. I made it for you." She smiled sweetly.

Tadashi took a sip and instantly his eyes closed in bliss. It was definitely the warm kick he needed after that morning rush and she had made it perfectly too. The espresso wasn't burnt and the milk was at the right temperature. There even was that subtle taste of hazelnut, just the way he personally liked his lattes.

However, that bliss was shortly lived because someone interrupted them.

"Hana?"

"Oh! Evan, hi!" Surprise sparked in Hana's eyes as she saw the tall brunet cellist from the other day at the mall. He had his cello case on his back and his expression was one of shock.

"Hey, good morning."

A sweet smile spread across her face as she nodded her head. "Morning. Are you on your way to school right now?"

He nodded and mirrored her smile, his green eyes lighting up as he did so. "Yeah. Thought I'd stop by for some coffee. I remembered you worked here."

"I do most days. Usually in the early mornings."

"You should come watch us practice or something on your day off. Or even whenever your shifts are done. I can show you around campus too, if you want." Evan offered as he took the change Hana passed to him. A look of delight fleeted across her face and she beamed excitedly.

"Seriously? I would love that. I haven't actually been there yet so it'd be cool to have a guide." Hana said while preparing to make the Americano for Evan. He seemed nice enough and they'd be around a lot of people if anything happened. Plus, she could probably drag someone along with her if she needed to.

"Awesome! Here, let me give you my number. Just shoot me a text or call when your next day off is." The brunet fumbled for his phone, digging into all his clothing pockets before bringing it out from his back pocket.

Tadashi quietly watched the exchange between them while he sipped his latte. An uncomfortable feeling sat in his chest as he watched them talk. He vaguely remembered this guy from the other day and it seemed they were getting pretty well acquainted, but Tadashi didn't miss how easily Hana was talking with the brunet. It was as if they'd been friends for a long time. It was so unlike how she had talked with Tadashi the first few times; she had been shy and their conversations had had their fair share of awkward pauses. But it was ... different with this Evan guy.

Frowning, Tadashi rubbed his chest gently to soothe the uncomfortable feeling. He didn't really understand why and he wasn't sure if he enjoyed this foreign feeling.

* * *

**The long awaited chapter! Sorry it took so long, I had a bit of a writer's block with this one so it took me awhile to get it out. I had a bit of trouble with this chapter and I'll be honest, it's not my favourite. But I think it's mainly here to get the story moving along, which it will.**

**Anyway, thank you so much for all the love! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, favourited, and read! I'm hoping the next chapter will be easier for me to write. See you soon!**

**~Mari**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

The voices in the study area slowly began to drown out as Tadashi started drifting off into his own thoughts. One second he was working out a difficult equation and then the next second his mind was wandering to a few days ago. The meeting between Evan and Hana at the café kept invading his thoughts, no matter how hard he tried not to let if consume his mind. He couldn't forget the way they talked so freely together and how Hana seemed so relaxed around that Evan guy.

For some reason, that made him feel weird. It bothered him a lot. It wasn't as if Evan was mean or egotistical or anything. No, Evan seemed to be sweet and kind, and that's what bothered Tadashi. While it took Tadashi a few weeks to become a little closer to Hana, it took next to nothing for Evan.

A frown marred his features and he tapped the pen between his index and middle finger against his notebook. This was confusing, for a lack of a better word. Tadashi liked to think he was easy going and understanding, but he'd never felt anything like this before at all.

With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes briefly before lifting his gaze to look at his friends. Except, they were all staring at him expectantly.

"What's up?" There was a collective of sighs and groans from them as Tadashi smiled sheepishly. Instantly, they forgot about the silly question they had asked him and instead focused on him.

"You've been zoning out since we got here." Gogo popped the small bubble of gum with her teeth and looked at him pointedly.

Honey Lemon nodded and her eyebrows creased in worry. "Is something wrong, Tadashi?"

"I'm okay, I was just thinking..." Tadashi looked down at his notebook and noticed his unsolved equation. "…about this equation."

"I may not be a super science genius like you." Fred drawled while twirling a pen between his fingers. "But that sounds a little bit like B – S."

"Yeah, I have to agree with Fred here." Wasabi chimed in.

Tadashi cupped the back of his neck and sighed with a sheepish smile. Had he been that noticeable? Then again, his friends were pretty perceptive and caring, which he was glad for all the time. "It's really nothing much. I've just been thinking."

"I bet it was about Hana."

"Oh yeah, he was totally thinking about her."

"I think he was too."

"Okay Hamada, spill."

Oh god. Scratch that, his friends were way too perceptive for their own good. It was a blessing and a curse.

* * *

Holy crap.

Hana's mouth dropped a little as she stared at her surroundings. She'd seen San Fransokoyo Institute of Music and Fine Arts in the brochures and in online photos, but this blew her expectations into smithereens. The photos she saw in no way prepared her for how incredibly amazing this school looked or how humongous it was.

There was so much lush greenery on the campus. There was also a lot of colourful flowers and plants, and they looked to be very well tended to. Everything was extremely beautiful and breathtaking, she couldn't take her eyes off of it. Was this really a school? It seemed as though she had just stepped into one of those botanical gardens rather than a college. Even the big fountain she was standing beside was beautiful. Seeing it in the brochure and seeing it in real life were definitely two different experiences.

Hana watched students walk alone or with their friends and some of them sporting all sorts of instrumental cases or an art portfolio case. Some students were sitting or lying down on the grass and under trees. Everyone looked relaxed and content, and she could relate to them. It was impossible not to feel relaxed and happy when you were basically surrounded by beauty.

"Boo."

Startled, Hana swung around and was met with Evan's grin and twinkling green eyes. She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart and playfully pushed his arm.

"You scared me!" She laughed, unable to even feign annoyance at him.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. You looked really distracted." His chuckled along with her. He couldn't help that either, she had the cutest and most contagious laugh.

"I was in awe at everything."

"Is this your first time at the school?"

She nodded her head vigorously and looked around briefly. "Yeah. It's way better than in the pictures."

"Wait until you see everything else." Evan smiled, his eyes twinkling, and he offered his elbow like a gentleman. "Shall we?"

Touched by the gentlemanly gesture, she slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow. Smiling up at him, she nodded enthusiastically and giggled. "We shall."

Evan was a terrific guide. He showed her practically everything, even his favourite spots to study or sleep, and he described each place he showed her really well. He also answered any questions she had, though she was so blown away by the school she barely had questions. If she thought the main campus area was beautiful, she had no idea what to think of everywhere else. The further they traveled into campus, the quieter it got with the occasional sound of music playing in one of the practice rooms. It was really serene and beautiful here; perfect for playing music or doing art.

Much to her excitement and joy, Evan actually led her to the area with most of the practice rooms. As they walked down one of the wide hallways, she glanced into the door windows as they passed by the many rooms. There were already some students practicing with their instruments, some of them were alone and some of them were with other students.

Finding an empty practice room, the tall brunet opened the door and gestured for her to go in first.

"Oh my god. This is a practice room? It's so huge!" Gleefully, she ran inside the practice room Evan had led her to. She noticed the grand piano and made a beeline for it. It was beautiful! It was only a baby grand, but it was still so beautiful. In her house back in her hometown, she had an upright piano and she only played on grand pianos during her piano recitals.

"This is one of the bigger ones." Evan leaned against the piano and smiled at her.

Gracefully, she sat down on the piano bench and glanced up at him. "For group practices, right?"

"Right. My quartet usually practices in rooms like this." Without needing to be asked to, Evan opened up the baby grand so that any sound made could be traveled out. He could practically see her fingers itching to press down on the piano keys. "You can play on it, if you want." And he really wanted to hear her play.

A blush spread across her cheeks. Was it that obvious? She wanted to play so badly, but she hadn't practiced in a few weeks. "I don't know…I haven't really practiced in a while so I might sound rusty." A part of her didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Evan, especially because he was a music student. How bad would it look if she messed up in front of him?

"It's okay." He smiled warmly at her, his green eyes crinkling at the end. He didn't want her to feel embarrassed at all or think that he would judge her. He definitely wasn't like some of those snobby music students that go to his school. From what he could tell, she was a hard worker. It wasn't easy taking on a full time job and trying to get used to the city life so it was understandable that she didn't always have time for practicing.

"Play something you're comfortable with." He encouraged as he sat beside her on the piano bench, closer to one end so she had enough room to stretch her arms.

Well…there were a few pieces she was comfortable with. And it would be such a waste not to play on this gorgeous baby grand before they left.

So with that in mind, she rotated her wrists to loosen them up before resting her fingers on the keys. And then, her fingers began flying across them with ease as the notes she memorized long ago flooded her mind. Slowly, her eyes shut and she immersed herself into the music.

Evan watched in awe at how smoothly and graceful her playing was. It felt as though her playing was coming from the heart and there was a lot of emotion in the piece. He was really…moved. It wasn't that he hadn't met great pianists before, but for some reason, he liked the way Hana played; she was just as amazing as the pianists he knew. With more practice and lessons with the professors here, she would make a promising pianist. Maybe she could even be his accompanist too, though that was wishful thinking.

After a few more minutes of playing, Hana finally stopped. The moment she did, Evan started clapping and a blush rose on her face. For a second, she had forgotten he had been beside her.

"S-sorry, I sort of lost myself." She chuckled and cupped the back of her neck in embarrassment.

He shook his head vigorously and smiled warmly. "Don't be sorry. That was really great. I know what it's like to lose yourself in the music."

That had her grinning up at him and this time, a blush crept up the back of his neck and then dusted his cheeks. Clearing his throat a little, he ignored the way his stomach did a flip and stood up slowly.

"Let me show you the rest of the places." Again, he offered his elbow like a gentleman and a small feeling of delight shot through him when she tucked her hand in there.

Half an hour later, they were back outside after he had shown her the last few things on campus. There was a content and serene smile resting on Hana's face, even though on the inside she was even more excited about everything.

"So, what did you think?" Evan asked after the tour. They were sitting down in one of the quieter areas of campus, surrounded by plush flower bushes. Hana fidgeted, trying to gather up all her thoughts.

"A bit overwhelmed, but in a good way." She finally said, smiling up at him. "This school is gorgeous. I love everything about it."

There was a slight pause.

"I really want to go here." She said with determination. Before when she'd first discovered the school, her goal was to come here. However, actually being shown around the school by Evan, that desire burned even brighter and she knew that she **had** to come to this school. It was everything she'd ever dreamed of and more. "I'll cry if I can't get in."

Evan smiled softly and gently tapped her shoulder with his own. "No crying. You'll get in, I guarantee it." There was a slight hesitation before he reached up to rub her head fondly. "You're not alone. I'll help you as much as I can."

"Thank you, Evan." She was so grateful to have met him. Maybe it was pure good luck that they met or maybe she was destined to meet him. But she was really glad she did. Making friends was what she had worried about a lot when she first moved into the big city. But now, she realized she didn't have to worry much anymore. She'd already met several great people, including Tadashi and Evan, and for that, she was truly thankful.

Suddenly, she stood up and offered Evan her hand. "Let's go get some lunch. My treat."

"How could I ever refuse free food?" Evan joked and he enveloped her hand with his. Surprisingly, she had a lot of strength as she pulled him up and he couldn't help rubbing the top of her head again, only this time it was in a teasing way. "You're surprisingly really strong."

"Don't underestimate me. I may be tiny, but I pack a punch." She huffed playfully, shaking her head to straighten up the hair he ruffled up.

A laugh rose from Evan's chest and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her along towards the nearest campus exit and grinned. "For some reason, I don't doubt that."

* * *

Finally, classes were over and Tadashi was heading home for a good days rest. Most days he would've stayed a little later after classes to work on random projects or study, but today he just wanted to go home.

His friends had bombarded him with questions, most of them revolving around Hana, and somehow he had survived that. He tried his best to answer honestly, but also tried to skirt around them. It was good to be honest, but he didn't have to tell them the _whole_ truth, especially when _he_ didn't even know _what_ the truth was himself.

Tadashi heaved a sigh as he lifted up his cap with one hand and ran his other hand through his hair. A cup of iced tea and a muffin sounded really good right about now.

When he arrived the front of the café, he pushed the entrance open and instantly his eyes landed on the people sitting at one of the tables. Immediately, Tadashi's lip thinned and his eyebrows twitched into a slight frown.

It was Hana and…Evan. And they looked to be having a good time.

So, it look as though she had taken up Evan's offer. Not that it was any of his business if she did or not. At the same time though, a strange feeling bloomed in his chest when he thought of Hana and Evan together. He wanted to be the one showing her around and having refreshing drinks after. He wanted to be the one sitting there with her, talking to her and laughing with her.

When Hana's eyes met his, he softened up instantaneously and smiled back at her. He waved at her and continued his trek to the back kitchen. Briefly, he kissed his Aunt Cass on the cheek and made his way to the refrigerator. And with a tad bit more force than necessary, he closed the fridge door and began pouring himself a glass of the iced tea his Aunt always had prepared.

"What'd the fridge do to you?" Hiro piped up, leaning against the entrance that lead to their house.

The frown on Tadashi's face furrowed a little more, slightly annoyed that his little brother picked up the littlest things. Sometimes, that kid was way too smart. "Nothing…just tired. Long day at school and stuff." The last thing Tadashi wanted to do was try to explain confusing feelings to his kid brother.

Hiro's expression morphed into one of skepticism, but he said no more. He just stared at his brother and fought the smug smile that threatened to form on his lips.

* * *

**This time it didn't take my weeks to upload a new chapter, haha. I really wanted to get this out before my final exams tomorrow, eek! For this chapter, I made it longer and tried adding more detail. I hope that's okay and I hope you guys liked it! I'm not the best at describing music, but I tried my best to. Hopefully, that part will get easier as the days go on. ****As for Hana, I wouldn't say she's a genius pianist or anything. She actually just practices very hard and has a passion for it. **

**Thank you to everyone who favourite, followed, read, and reviewed! ****And a huge thank you to Naomi, frostystuffs, and RellaRose100! You guys were so encouraging ;w; And RellaRose100, you totally saved my bacon in the last chapter! I definitely wouldn't have noticed if you didn't tell me and for that I'm so grateful :D**

**I hope everyone has a wonderful day! **

**~Mari**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

A week passed without any incidents or significant happenings and it was just the usual for both Tadashi and Hana. While Hana had work and errands to run, Tadashi was juggling his projects and classes. It was already the first round of midterms and he had buckled down to study for them. After all, keeping up with those scholarships were extremely important.

On top of that, he had had a few projects due by the end of the week, which wasn't that bad to be honest. They were just really time-consuming. Unfortunately, that meant he had little time to see Hana and even less time to have a proper conversation with her. The most they did was wave and greet each other briefly before he went up to his room to study.

Finally though, he was finished up with his last project and just in time for the weekend too.

Hitting the upload button in his class online folder, he watched the little blue bar fill up and scrubbed a hand over his face. The project write up had taken all night to do because there had been so many equations and notes to type up. He could feel the 5 o'clock shadow on his face since he hadn't bothered shaving and he could practically feel the bags under his eyes. Grabbing his SFIT mug, he gulped down the rest of his chilled black coffee and sighed. At this point, the bitter and cold taste was what was keeping him awake.

As soon as his file uploaded, he submitted the file and shut his laptop. When he got up to stretch, he nearly moaned at how amazing that felt, especially after long hours of sitting at his room desk. Again, he grabbed his mug and glanced at the clock that hung on the wall. 7 o'clock, which meant Hana should be downstairs in the café already.

Tadashi splashed his face with cold water in the bathroom, but didn't bother shaving. It didn't look that bad and, really, he was just too tired to do anything about it right now. Before he crashed for the rest of the day, he wanted to see Hana.

He had been looking forward to seeing and talking to Hana all week. It had partially gotten him through the grueling projects and midterms. He had told himself that once he was done, he would ask her the question that had been burning in his thoughts for a while now.

"Morning, sweetie." Cass greeted. "Finished your project?"

"Mhm." Tadashi gave his aunt a brief one armed hug. "I'm going back up soon to crash."

"Make sure to eat something before you sleep."

After giving her an okay, he stepped out into the front of the café and saw Hana working on making a drink. Sidling up to her, he poured himself a cup of freshly made coffee and smiled. Just being near her washed away some of the tiredness he felt.

"Hey, Hana."

She looked up and smiled. Then she noticed the stubble on him. "Hey. Rough night?"

"Something like that. I had to pull an all-nighter to finish my project." He sipped his coffee and basked at the warmth of it. That was way better than the cold, overnight coffee.

"That definitely doesn't sound like fun." She grinned, and handed the customer their drink.

"Once it gets to about four in the morning, it gets less fun for sure." He cupped the back of his neck and rubbed it. It was now or never. "Speaking of fun, I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow?"

Hana blinked at the question and shook her head. Had she heard right? "No, it's my day off. What's up?"

God, this was nerve-wrecking. It shouldn't be and yet, his heart was hammering in his chest. He'd been waiting all week to ask her and he wasn't about to chicken out. Tadashi Hamada never chickened out of anything. "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. With me."

Cue the owlish blinking.

"I mean…my midterms just ended and I'm free. I wanted to hang out with you and stuff." And it had never seemed like the right time before.

"Sure, I'd love to hang out."

Relief washed over him like a tidal wave and his shoulders sagged a bit. The sleepiness was finally catching up to him now. "Great. I'll text you the details tonight?" With one hand, he brought his phone out and handed it to her.

Wiping her hands on her apron, she took his phone and swiftly added her number. A minute later, Tadashi texted her and she saved his number to her phone as well. That action alone made her extremely happy because they finally exchanged numbers. It had taken a while, but the wait had been worth it.

"Alright. Sounds good. Now go get some rest, Tadashi." She patted his arm and watched as he trudged back inside, after waving at her. The moment he left, she bit down on her bottom lip to prevent herself from giggling out in glee.

* * *

For the umpteenth time, Hana checked the time on her phone. 12:20PM. There was still ten minutes until she and Tadashi were supposed to meet, but she had still come early. It was the nerves talking, the same nerves that had her change outfits three times before she picked out the perfect one.

_But it's not a date_. Hana kept reminding herself. If she could, she would smack herself right now to get rid of these stupid nerves. This was most definitely not a date. Today was just two friends hanging out and nothing more. That was totally fine with her because she really wanted to just hang out with him too. It wasn't often that they saw each other outside of the café, so she was excited about this too.

Adjusting the strap of her small purse, she sat patiently on the edge of the fountain that was near the mall's main entrance. Last night, Tadashi had texted her after his very long nap. He suggested they grab lunch together and walk around the mall, which she didn't mind at all. Maybe she could buy a few things while they browsed through the stores, since she had gotten paid yesterday.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late. I hope you didn't wait long."

Hana turned and smiled up at Tadashi. He was wearing his trademark San Fransoyko Ninjas ball cap, a pair of dark blue jeans, and a red t-shirt that looked really good on him. He was very casual yet he still looked really good.

She stood up and shook her head. "Don't worry, I didn't. I actually just got here." Checking the time again, she noted he was also early, rather than late. It didn't really surprise her that he was punctual; he seemed like the type that would always be on time, or a little early.

"That's a relief. I was worried I was gonna be late." He lifted his cap up and ran a hand through his hair, an action that seemed really common with him.

"It's okay. I probably would've bombarded you with texts if you were." She joked, giggling lightly. Her friends would most likely disagree though. Bombarding someone with texts would be a stretch, but they'd all agree that she was rather impatient and that punctuality was important to her.

Tadashi smiled widely and gestured towards the escalators. "Shall we, then? The restaurant is on the second floor."

As the escalators were going up, she turned to look at him. He was a good head taller than her, which wasn't hard since she was about five foot five. "Which restaurant are we going to?"

"It's a pasta place. I hope you don't mind." He smiled. "I know we're at a mall and whatnot, but this place is pretty good. Hiro and I come here to eat sometimes."

"I love pasta." Honestly, she loved anything that was food. But any sort of pasta dish was an instant favourite. "I'm sure it's delicious. I trust your judgement."

Once they arrived at the restaurant, they were seated at one of the booths. Instantly, she fell in love with the interior. The restaurant itself had a homey and cozy feel to it, and all the furniture was modern.

"It's really nice in here. No wonder you and Hiro come here often. If I had known about this place, I would've come here too." Hana said while opening up her menu.

"We can come here again any time you want." He replied, smiling at her. It was great knowing he was the first one to introduce her to one of his favourite places. It was almost like sharing a secret.

Flipping through the pages of the menu, drool was practically rolling out of her mouth. Everything sounded delicious. Carbonara, seafood fettucine alfredo, spicy sausage…there are so many dishes! How was she going to choose just one? If she had her way – and if she had a huge stomach – she would definitely order everything on the menu.

"It's so hard to pick one. Everything sounds seriously good."

"I totally get what you mean. I've been here a lot yet I still have trouble picking." He chuckled, closing the menu. "One of my favourites is the seafood fettucine. They don't skimp out on the shrimps and scallops. And they're jumbo sized too."

"I was actually looking at that just now." She nibbled on her bottom lip, an action that didn't go unnoticed by him, and nodded. "I think I'll go with that. I'm in the mood for some seafood."

Both of them closed the menu simultaneously and told the waitress their orders. Seafood fettucine for her, chicken parmesan for him, and tomato and basil bruschetta as an appetizer. He had ordered that last one on whim, but he didn't want her to be hungry while they waited for their main dishes.

"So, did you get a chance to check out your university?"

Hana's eyes lit up at the mention of her dream school and she nodded eagerly. "I did! The campus is seriously so beautiful. There's something relaxing about it and it's a bit different from your school. SFIT is more…modern and tech and SFAM seems like...an antique."

"I mean, on the outside it looks like that. Something classical?" She smiled sheepishly, having a hard time trying to describe the feeling.

But Tadashi understood what she meant. It was still adorable how she was really excited and how she was fumbling over her words. So, she has this kind of side too, is what he thought. It made him want to get to know her even more.

"I think I know what you mean." He smiled as he rested his chin on his palm and leaned forward a little. "I've only been there twice, but I'd love to see it again. Maybe you can show me around one day?"

She thought about it a little before nodding. "When I get into university, I'll show you around."

To her surprise, he stretched his other arm across the table towards her and lifted up his pinky. "Promise?"

It was childlike, but not in a bad way. It was kind of…cute. Cute because she hadn't thought that Tadashi would be the type to make pinky promises. And of course, she was childlike too so she grinned widely and linked her pinky with his.

"I promise." She stamped her thumb with his. She held it there for a few seconds and leaned over to blow lightly on it, as if to make sure the magic of the promise would be extra effective. Perhaps it was silly to others, but she'd always done that as a little girl and it was special to her.

The blood rushed to Tadashi's cheeks when she did that and his chest suddenly felt fuzzy. The fact that she was taking this promise seriously made his heart melt a little. The more he thought about it, the more he was glad he had asked to spend time with her today. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have been able to see her like this.

"There! Now I can't break the promise." She grinned, sliding her pinky out from the link.

His shoulders shook a little as he chuckled at her enthusiasm. He had to bite down on his bottom lip a little in order to resist the urge to smile bigger. Luckily though, the appetizer came out so for the moment, both of them were distracted by the bruschetta. He didn't mind though because he wasn't entirely sure what the fuzzies inside were.

* * *

"I'm so stuffed." Hana rubbed her stomach as they walked out of the restaurant. "Everything was really yummy."

"I'm glad you thought so." Tadashi smiled as he slid his wallet into his back pocket.

"You really didn't have to buy lunch." She had told him that she could pay for hers, but he had insisted that he paid for their meal. Before she knew it, he had whipped out his card and paid for their meals. She felt really bad, but it was still a sweet gesture. Although, she kept reminding herself that this wasn't a date.

"It's really okay. I wanted to. Plus, I'm the one that asked you to spend the day with me." He noticed her bottom lip jut out a little into a pout and he had to hold down the chuckle again. "Buuuuut."

That got her attention. Her light brown eyes lifted to look up as they sparkled with curiosity and she tilted her head a little to the side.

"Next time." He cleared his throat, averting his eyes to the side for a second to compose himself. "You can buy next time."

That meant…he wanted to hang out with her again like this. A bright smile formed on her face and her eyes closed into half-moons. "Of course! Next time, it's on me."

_Was it okay for her to be this happy?_ The question echoed within the depths of her mind.

Not wanting to dwell on it, she unexpectedly linked her arm with Tadashi's and pointed forward animatedly. "I think the arcade is this way. Think you can beat me in air hockey?"

"Is that a challenge, Miss Hana?"

"I believe it is, Mister Hamada."

A smirk rose up onto his lips, one that was clearly challenging her, and her stomach did a flop. There was a mischievous twinkle in his warm eyes that resembled and reminded her of Hiro's. "You're on."

Playful competitiveness bubbled inside her and glee ran through her veins as she pulled Tadashi towards the arcade.

An old couple that had seen them stopped briefly to watch them go. The elderly woman stared at the young ones walk towards the arcade then gazed at her husband with a mirthful smile.

"Ah, young love. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

The husband chuckled in agreement and kissed her temple before they continued walking.

* * *

**Gah, I'm so sorry for the late update. I've been really busy and I had to rewrite this chapter a few times. I'm still trying to get used to writing long chapters with more detail, haha. Isn't it nice that Tadashi and Hana finally went on their "not really a date" date? ;) There's more to fluffiness to come, I promise! Hana can be pretty childish and silly, and I thought that would bring out the silliness in Tadashi too. It's kind of cute when you think about it, hehe.**

**I hope you all liked this chapter! As always, thank you to everyone who's read this and favourited. And special thanks to everyone who reviewed for their wonderful message and constant support! When I feel down, I always go back to read your guys' reviews and it really keeps me going! So thank you very much!**

**~Mari**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

After an hour of air hockey, the two of them were tied. Neither of them were backing down and letting the other win. That was fine by Hana because she didn't want Tadashi to feel as if he had to go easy on her. There was nothing she disliked more than having people going easy on her because she was a female. It was more fun this way too.

It was down to the last thirty seconds and determination flared within both of them. Tadashi flicked the thin puck with the mallet, but Hana swiftly blocked the goal with her own mallet. Quickly, she returned fire, hitting the puck at an angle so that it could hit the side of the arena. It was a flurry of blocks and hits before there was finally a misstep and the puck slid smoothly into the goal.

"Score!" Hana threw her arms up in the air.

Tadashi hung his head in defeat and laughter spilled out of Hana's mouth. She sidled up to him, giving his broad shoulder a pat. "There, there."

Lifting his head up, his lips formed into a mock pout. There was no sign of remorse on Hana's face, just a playful smile and a twinkle in her eye, and instantly the pout melted off his face.

"Not bad. You got me pretty good. I think I've met a worthy rival." He smiled. Playing air hockey like that was one of the best stress relievers and a great way to loosen up. Also, it had been incredibly fun. It felt as though the ice had broken between them.

"You're not so bad yourself. I wouldn't mind another match with you next time." Next time because this wasn't going to be the last time they hung out like this.

"I'll hold you to that." Already he was looking forward to it, no matter how much he tried to tamp down the excitement. They started for the entrance of the arcade to get back out to the mall, realizing they'd spent about an hour in there. "Was there anything you wanted to go? Anything you wanted to buy?"

"Hmm…" She clasped her hands behind her back and thought for a second. "Not really. Maybe a few shirts, but I want to look around first."

"That sounds like a good idea. Window shopping is always fun."

"Are you looking for anything in particular?"

The space between his eyebrows creased in thought before he shook his head. "To be honest, I don't shop often."

That caught her by surprise. Tadashi was always so well dressed that she thought he went shopping often. But then again, she must've misjudged him. "I guess I'm a bit surprised. You always dress so well so I imagined you liked shopping."

"I don't mind it. I just don't do it often." He chuckled. "Aunt Cass forces us to go with her sometimes. Hiro, of course, hates it with a passion, thinks it's a waste of time."

"That is so like him." Hana laughed. She could imagine it now: Aunt Cass urging the boys to come with her, Hiro with that frowny, pouty face and his arms crossed, and Tadashi being exasperated.

"He's a pretty stubborn kid. I feel for the kid though, shopping takes a lot of time. I used to not want to go, but now I don't mind shopping."

"It's really fun when you go with friends. Or probably with your significant other."

Significant other. Tadashi had been so wrapped up in his head that he didn't actually _know_ if Hana had a significant other. He had just assumed that she was single and had casually asked her to hang out with him. Not that it really mattered because she was her own woman, it shouldn't matter whom she spent her time with even if she had someone in her life already. But at the same time, concern clouded his chest. Maybe it was that Evan guy?

"Do you?" Tadashi blurted out unable to contain the question.

"Do I what?" Confusion danced in her light brown eyes.

"Have someone you're dating?" He felt really stupid for asking.

Hana blinked wildly at the randomness of his question, but she shook her head. "I don't. What about you? I don't have to watch out for a jealous lover, do I?" She was only kidding about the latter question. However, now she was extremely curious about his answer. Why was it so important for her to know? She hadn't the slightest clue.

Tadashi mentally breathed a sigh of relief at her answer, the sudden anxiousness washing away completely. Instead, he chuckled and shook his head. "Don't worry, there isn't a jealous girlfriend. You're safe and sound." He winked playfully. Plus, even if there had been one, he would be right there to protect her.

"Thank god. I didn't want to have to use my fighting moves." To emphasis her point, she did a karate chop in the air in fake seriousness and grinned up at him.

The laughter spilled out of him in an instant and his shoulders began shaking up and down as well. The way her grin morphed into a pout and her eyebrows came together in a frown had him laughing even harder to the point he had to briefly stop walking.

"What's so funny?" Her pout deepened and although she wasn't offended, the image of her stomping her foot was practically there.

That had been a bad image to envision because it only served to fuel the hilarity of her joke. Tadashi had to clasp a hand over his mouth to cover his chuckles. Thankfully, that helped and slowly his laughter began dying down except he still had that mirthful shine in his eyes.

"I'm really sorry. I swear I'm not making fun of you." He said once his laughing fit stopped. They began walking again down the mall and he could feel the pull of his abdominal muscles from that good laugh.

"Then what was so funny?"

"What you said just caught me off guard. I didn't imagine you as the type to be a fighter. I thought it was kind of endearing."

"Well, that's true. I'm more of a lover, not a fighter." She smiled and flexed her hand. "I actually don't know any martial arts. Mostly because I play piano." It was crucial for her to take really good care of her hands. She couldn't risk her hands getting injured because her whole future lied in them.

"Because a pianist's hands are extremely important."

"Exactly."

They smiled at each other, but Hana stopped when something caught her eye. On the other side of the walkway, the word 'SALE' was written in large letters on the glass window. That had done it, her legs began to gravitate towards the store and she gestured to Tadashi.

"Let's go in here." When you lived on your own, sales were basically your best friend. Who didn't like sales anyway? And from the looks of it, this store wasn't that bad at all. There was a large selection of stylish shirts and pants, all at a really great price with the sale happening.

Picking out two of the same plaid shirts in two different colours, she lifted them up to her body and smiled at Tadashi. "Which one seems better?"

Tadashi cupped his chin in thought and squinted a little. This was a tough decision since both the colours seemed flattering, but after weighing both options carefully, he pointed to one. "The blue one. I think you'll look nice in this one."

"Perfect. I'll get this one." She grinned, putting the other one away. She had to admit the light blue was really cute and she could hardly wait until she wore this.

With Tadashi's help, she ended up finding two other shirts as well. One was a cute horizontal striped shirt and the other was just a simple yet chic graphic tank top. Then, they went over to the men's side of the store per her request. He insisted that they didn't have to do this for him, but she felt bad for dragging him along into the store so she wanted to at least see if there was something nice for him.

There was so much to look at that she wasn't sure where to start first. Menswear was something she always thought was fun to look at and it was rather visually pleasing. One of her secret dreams was to go shopping with her future boyfriend and dress him up in all kinds of clothes. Suits, button ups, sweaters, dark jeans, you name it. Maybe she looked through magazines way too much. But, who didn't love a guy who dressed well, right?

On the one of the racks, there was a really nice sweater hanging and she grabbed it quickly, using the tips of her toes to reach it. Grasping the hanger securely, she unhooked it and raised it up to the length of Tadashi's upper torso. It was a classic knitted crew neck sweater in light grey, and it had dark brown elbow patches. It was simple, but it was very…him.

"I think this'll look nice on you." She held it up a little higher and tilted her head to the side, trying to imagine him wearing it. "The weather's getting a little chillier too. It's not too thick, but not to light so it's perfect for fall weather."

"I do like the elbow patches on this too." She wasn't wrong. October was slowly coming to an end so the weather was changing from warmer to colder, just as quickly as the leaves were changing colour. Though San Fransokyo didn't get snow that didn't mean the temperature didn't drop. And it wouldn't hurt to add a sweater to his collection of clothes before it got colder. Plus, this did seem like something he would wear and it amazed him how easily she picked it out.

"I'll buy this. I do need a sweater and I really like this one." Tadashi said, smiling sweetly at her as he took the hanger from her gently. The genuinely happy smile that appeared on her face only further affirmed that he had made the right decision.

* * *

It was getting late. Due to it being autumn now, the sun was beginning to set sooner and by the time Tadashi and Hana made a round around the mall, the sky was already dyed in pink and orange. It would only be a matter of minutes before the sun fully dipped below the horizon.

"You really didn't have to come with me." Hana said again once they sat down inside the train. Tadashi plopped down next to her and put their shopping bags on his lap to make room for her and the others.

"Don't worry about it. I want to make sure you get home safely." He'd be damned if he just left her so she could wander on home all by herself. Traveling alone at night wasn't safe for anyone, especially a woman, and she was still getting used to the city. He would feel much better knowing she was escorted back and was safe and sound. It was the least he could do for asking her to hang out.

"Thanks, Tadashi. It's really sweet of you." She smiled shyly up at him.

The train stopped briefly at another stop and a few people got on and off. The vacant seat next to her only lasted about a few seconds before someone else occupied it. Instinctively, she scouted a little to her other side – where Tadashi was sitting at the moment – and she pressed her side closer to him. Their sides of their thighs and shoulders pressed together, and Tadashi eased his muscles a little to let her get comfortable.

God, Hana hadn't been this close to him since their little shelf incident in the café a few weeks ago. However, that had only been a span of several seconds whereas this…this would last at least a while. They still had quite a bit of stops to go before they had to get off, which meant she'd be pressed against him like this until then. Not that she was complaining; he was really warm and she felt it right down to her toes. But most importantly, she felt safe.

The train ride to her apartment was quiet, but it was a comfortable kind of quiet. No words needed to be exchanged between them because they were both content with being each other's presence. It felt natural too, that although they are able to talk to each other, they are also able to just bask in the serenity together.

Soon enough it was time to get off, much to her dismay. Biting back the sigh, she followed him towards the exit and waited until the train came to a complete stop.

"Watch your step." Tadashi offered her the hand that wasn't holding the shopping bags. His grip was strong and he steadily helped her off the last step.

The sky was painted a gradient of blues with some stars littered about and the moon had finally replaced the sun, shining brightly in the night sky. Today had been a really great day and it was rather depressing that it was already coming to a close.

Together they walked down the sidewalk that lead to her apartment complex and unconsciously, he walked along the side that was beside the road.

"It's not that far, thankfully." This time with her as the guide since he'd never been to her place before. The only other person that knew where she lived and had been there was Angela.

"It's nice that you live close to the café. And SFAM isn't that far either, right?"

"Yeah. SFAM is about a half an hour away by transit. Thank god I live near the bus and train stop." She said, shifting her purse strap up onto her shoulder. "Makes my life a little easier getting to work too."

"That's really convenient."

A few minutes later, her apartment complex came into view. It wasn't that tall, the building only having three floors, and it wasn't too shabby. The outside may look a little worn and rustic, but the inside was up to date, having been fully renovated a few years back. The rent was a decent price for a one room apartment and the inside of her home was decently spacious.

"Thank you for walking me home. I really appreciate it." Hana said sweetly, taking her shopping bag from him. "And for carrying my stuff."

He smiled kindly. "It was my pleasure. Thanks for hanging out with me."

"No problem, I had a lot of fun today. It was a nice change after that long week." The chilly night air nipped at her cheeks and the tip of her nose, and she tried to fight the shiver.

"You have no idea." He chuckled softly and ushered her inside. "It's getting cold, you should get inside."

"Alright. Text me when you get home safely, okay? Goodnight, Tadashi."

"Night, Hana."

She waved and held her electronic door opener to the little device by the complex's entrance. As soon as she was on the other side of the glass, she turned to give Tadashi another wave. The taller boy grinned at her and waved back with his free hand, watching her as she scurried towards the elevator. Once he was sure she was inside the elevator, he waited a minute longer before he turned to walk back to the train station.

He hadn't strolled more than a few feet before a voice shouted, "Tadashi!"

Turning around again, he looked up when the same voice that belonged to Hana said 'up here!'. Sure enough, there she was, leaning out her window and waving at him. His face split into a toothy grin and he lifted his hand to wave at her one last time before finally making his way home.

Hana watched him until he disappeared into the night and then she closed her window as not to let all the warm air out of her home. Fifteen minutes passed and there was a "ping!" from her phone.

[New message from Tadashi Hamada.]

'_I got home just now. Goodnight and sweet dreams, Hana :)'_

* * *

**And the "not so date" date has come to an end. Don't fret, it won't be the last! I know that things are starting off really slow between them, but I wanted to be as realistic as possible. Hopefully that's working out :'D I'm a real fan of those relationships that are gradual. **

**I can't remember if I mentioned this last chapter, but SFAM stands for "_S_**an _**F**_ranskyoko Institute of Fine _**A**_rts and _**M**_usic**." It took me a while to find an acronym that could work like SFIT.**

**Big thank you as always to all of those that favourited, followed, and reviewed. Special thanks to the reviewers; I love reading all your thoughts and it makes me happy that you guys are loving the relationship between Hana and Tadashi. Thank you so much, you guys really motivate me! **

**~Mari**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

It had been several days since her hang out with Tadashi and the both of them had become closer. They texted regularly, even though she saw him most mornings at the café, and they talked about the most random subjects. It was actually really pleasant that they could talk so easily now.

"Wait, you don't like Halloween?" Angela asked as she drew a cat with a witch hat on the café's blackboard.

"I would say 'don't like' is too strong of an expression."

The rest of the week had gone by in a blur and the biggest holiday in October, loved by all ages, was finally here. The air buzzed with excitement and anticipation as groups of all ages animatedly talked about what costume they'd wear, how much candy they want this year, and the Halloween parties they would be attending. Halloween was undeniably a thrilling time of year that everyone looked forward to.

Except for maybe Hana.

It wasn't that she hated the holiday or anything, she just didn't really feel anything for it anymore. She had grown out of trick or treating before entering the seventh grade and she didn't really watch scary movies on Halloween. And it wasn't like she went to Halloween parties either. The most she did was wear some sort of head piece, like a witch's hat, or a cape of some sort and hand out candies to kids.

"You're like the Scrooge of Halloween."

"So I'm going to be meeting the ghouls of Halloween Past, Present, and Yet to Come?" Hana joked.

"Maybe. You better watch your back, Hana, because they might be the scariest of all ghouls." Angela waggled her fingers.

"Uh-huh. I think I'll take my chances." She chuckled and stuck some more fake cobwebs on the walls. Carefully, she dumped out the plastic black spiders into one hand and started decorating the cobwebs with the creepy crawlies.

Hands suddenly pressed against the middle of her back. "GRAHHHH!"

"HOLY S–" She jumped in fright. The black plastic spiders in her hand flung out of her hand and all over the floor when she jolted in surprise. Her hand automatically went to her rapidly and painfully beating heart to stop it from bursting out of her chest, and she swiftly turned to see who the culprit was. Only to jump in surprise again from the horrendous monster face waiting directly behind her. "GAH! HIRO!"

"Oh my god, I can't – this was the third time!" The young boy cackled loudly in between breaths and slid the mask off his face. "I can't believe I got you again!"

Hana glared at the laughing boy, watching as he and Angela high-fived. "I swear to god, Hiro. You almost gave me a heart attack." She squatted down to start picking up the scattered little plastics. Hiro was such a little shit sometimes. A cutie pie, but a little shit nonetheless. "Don't you have school today or something?"

"No, it's a half day Friday." Hiro said smugly, crossing his arms over his head.

"What'd you do this time, bonehead?" Tadashi appeared out on the café floor with another small box of decorations. When he passed his little brother, he adjusted his hands and lifted one up to knock the side of Hiro's head.

"Oww." Hiro glared up at his brother and rubbed the spot that was hit. "I just scared her."

"For the third time this morning." Hana supplied, picking up the last of the fake creepy crawlies.

"I couldn't resist. You're really easy to scare and your reactions are hilarious."

Tadashi rolled his eyes at his younger brother's childishness. "Why don't you make yourself useful and go help Aunt Cass?" He placed the box on one of the tables and gave his brother a look before taking out some more decorations.

Hiro let out a dramatic sigh and threw up his hands. "Alright, alright. I'm going."

"Sorry about him." Tadashi sighed.

Laughter spilled out and Hana shook her head. "Oh, there's nothing to apologize for. It was all in good fun." She stood up holding the plastic spiders in one hand and dusted off her knees with the other before smiling at him. "Gotta hand it to him, he's pretty good."

"Don't encourage him too much. Knowing him, it'll go right to his head." Tadashi teased lightly, putting up a long banner that read 'Happy Halloween'. They were just adding the finishing touches to the store now and then it would be fully ready for the night's events. Throughout the week, it had been a little decorative with Halloween stuff here and there, but now that the day had come, Cass had asked them to finish putting up the final decorations. The early morning crowd had finally died down so they'd spent that time making the whole place look more festive.

There! Everything was up and looking spooky.

"Do you have plans tonight?" Tadashi questioned as he put the extra decorations back into the cardboard box. "Because my friends are coming over and we're carving pumpkins. Do you want to join us?"

"Pumpkin carving does sound awfully tempting." The last time she carved a pumpkin was probably elementary school when it was a class activity practically every year. What could it hurt? It wasn't like she had any plans tonight anyway other than crashing on the couch and chowing down on mini chocolates. "Why not? It sounds way more fun than watching TV alone."

"Awesome. They're going to be really happy you're joining us." Truthfully, she was excited to meet his friends again. They seemed like such a great bunch of people and there was a desire to get to know them more. Making new friends was hard as it is so if an opportunity to meet new people arose, you bet she was going to pounce on that.

"Wait, do we need to wear a costume?"

"It's not required, but you can. I think they're going to be wearing stuff." Tadashi said thoughtfully while hoisting the cardboard box into his arms. He swung around to face Hana and began walking backwards as she walked forwards.

"What about you?" She asked, stuffing garbage and the like into one of the clear plastic bags.

"Ah–" He started, but stopped in mid thought. She raised a good question, to be honest. "I actually don't know. I hadn't really thought about it, not sure why. I guess I was more focused on the pumpkin carving part."

That had a smile rising on her face and giggles pouring out of her mouth. "Not much for Halloween?"

Tadashi chuckled and turned to face forward before slowing so he could walk beside her. "Not so much anymore. I play my part though; give out candy and whatnot. My friends and I do little things on Halloween like watching movies, eat, or carve pumpkins."

"That sounds fun though. You get to celebrate with your friends."

"And you?"

Hana opened the storage room door for Tadashi and followed in behind him. "I hand out candy, but that's about it. I'm super boring. I'm more of a Christmas kind of girl."

"Same. It's one of my favourite holidays." He let out a small grunt as he hefted the cardboard box up onto one of the higher shelves. Once he was sure it wouldn't fall, he clapped his hands to get any dirt or dust off and faced her. "Your shift ends at three o'clock, right?"

She nodded in affirmation.

"How's about we figure out what to wear together? Since we both don't know what costumes to wear."

Angela's head popped out from the side of the entrance and she called out Hana's name. "Someone's looking for you."

"I'll be out in a second." Hana turned to Tadashi and gave him one last smile. "That sounds like a plan. I'll see you once I finish my shift." They waved at each other before Hana scurried out to the front to see just who was looking for her.

Lo and behold, there stood Evan with his cello case on his back and a coffee already in one hand. The moment he saw her, he beamed and lifted his free hand up in greeting. His green eyes practically sparkled when he grinned like that and it was a wonder how none of the people in the vicinity fainted from the cuteness of it.

"Your smile is practically blinding me." Hana joked as he walked over to the counter. That only caused his smile to widen even more and she pretended to shield her eyes.

"It's my secret weapon."

"Not so secret anymore though."

"Indeed it's not." He said with a chuckle and sipped his coffee. "How's work going?"

"It's going okay. We just finished decorating the last bit of stuff. Isn't it great? It's so…Halloweeny."

Evan looked around the store and nodded. "It's really good. And really cute too. I like the witch cat on the blackboard." He pointed up at the drawing that Angela had skillfully done.

"Angela did that." Hana said and Angela curtsied when Hana gestured over to her. "Heading to class now?"

"Mhm." The brunet hummed while sipping his morning coffee again. His green eyes stared at her and blinked a few times as if he had something he wanted to say. In response to his action, Hana tiled her head curiously and raised her eyebrows, urging him to say what he wanted. "So….the people in my orchestra are throwing a Halloween party tonight. I was wondering if you wanted to come with."

It was a tempting offer indeed. After all, it was a great way to integrate into the music scene and meet more people. Also, it would be a really good way to establish connections with other musical students, and it could be a benefit. However, Hana already promised Tadashi minutes prior. Truth be told, even though logically this was a terrific opportunity for her, the promise she made was important. Plus, she did want to meet Tadashi's friends again – they'd been so fun to be around last time.

"I can't, I already made plans for tonight." Hana smiled apologetically, feeling a little guilty when the corners of his mouth dipped down into a sad pout. "Thank you for inviting me, though."

Evan heaved a depressed sigh, but his pout lifted into a soft smile. "That's okay. Maybe next time?"

"You bet. We'll definitely hang out next time."

The sadness he felt before dissipated as he took another sip. His gaze slid to the cat clock on the back wall behind Hana. The long hand was on the– He hissed when the coffee burned his tongue from the sudden realization. "Oh, shit. I'm gonna be late!" The young man fumbled around and lifted his hand up to give the two baristas a goodbye wave. "I'll text you later."

They watched him scurry down the sidewalk and disappear out of sight. Hana couldn't help the giggle and shook her head a little because sometimes his antics were just adorable. He was incredibly tall with broad shoulders and toned arms. One would think he was intimidating, but he was really silly and sometimes even clumsy. To put it best, he was a gentle giant.

Angela was smiling and shaking her head for a whole different reason. Being a completely observant third party member in the matter, it was obvious – painfully so – that Evan was interested in dear little Hana. The kicker was, Hana didn't see it at the moment because it seemed she was more focused on making a friendship. It was basically like watching a teenage drama unfold and Angela had the best front row seats with 3D glasses and a huge tub of popcorn. The perks of being the observing party. Of course though, she harbored no ill feelings towards anybody; she was curious and just liked watching all of this.

"You doing some sort of internal monologue?" Hana questioned with an amused look.

"Not at all. Just thinking about stuff." Angela winked, effectively receiving a questioning look, but she didn't elaborate any more than that. "Let's get back to work, shall we, little Hana?"

* * *

Hours later, Hana's shift had finally ended and she had made her way up to where her boss and her family lived. It was late afternoon by the time Hana had finished, but Tadashi and Hiro had waited for her so that they could eat lunch together. Throughout the late lunch, ideas for costumes had been bounced around, mostly for her and Tadashi since Hiro was going trick-or-treating with his own friends. That hadn't stopped him from offering up his own ideas though ("_Your costume can be a nerd. You wouldn't have to do anything, just go as yourself_") and it was safe to say none of his "ideas" were used.

Simplistic was what they had decided to go with. It was much easier working with items they had on hand and had only gone to thrift store once to purchase a few articles of clothing. Once all the clothes and items were assembled, they had changed into their respective costumes.

Tadashi shrugged into the white dress shirt that he found in hanging with his other shirts and started buttoning it up. He hadn't worn it since last winter so it was a bit form fitting because he'd built up some muscles since then. It wasn't constricting though. He cringed a little when he buttoned to the very top, not really enjoying how it felt uncomfortable and tight at the neck. He undid the first button and left it like that. Then, he slipped the black vest they had bought at the thrift store and buttoned that up as well.

Meanwhile, Hana had taken the bathroom in the Hamada brothers' room to change into her costume. She slipped on black tights and a red polka dotted dress they had miraculously found at the thrift store. It had a scoop neckline with a snug fit around the bodice, but not tight enough that it would make breathing uncomfortable. The skirt of the dress was nipped at the waist and flared down, falling freely to the knees.

Tadashi was in the process of checking out his outfit in the full length mirror in Hiro's part of the room when he heard his name being called out. When he looked up, he saw Hana walking towards him with one of her arms behind her back and her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. She looked really pretty though with the red polka dotted dress and he fought back the stirring in his chest.

"Tadashi? Can you help me with the zipper?" Hana questioned, looking frustrated that she couldn't zip it up herself.

"Yeah, of course." She turned so her back faced him and he pushed some of the hair she missed over her shoulder. Carefully, he placed a hand on her shoulder and gripped the small zipper handle with the other. Ever so slowly, he zipped upwards so that any cloth or skin didn't get caught between as he zipped.

Being this close to her, he could smell her lavender scented shampoo and the faint scent of her perfume, which was rather pleasant. Under his palm, the skin that the thick shoulder strap didn't cover was soft and warm. His eyes drifted down to the curve of her neck and he gulped quietly.

"All done." Tadashi managed to choke out, pulling his hands away immediately. God, when did he become such a creep? Definitely uncalled for and unlike him.

"Thanks! How do I look?" She twirled around a little and smiled at him.

Tadashi had to bite the inside of his cheek to fight down whatever weirdness he had felt before. "Really good. You just need to put the ears on and your Minnie Mouse costume will be complete."

"I will, but you first. Let's get those marking on your face." She suggested as she went over to the plastic bag laying on his bed. She rummaged through it and found the black face paint crayon.

He came over to where she was and dipped his head down so she had better access to his face. She stood on the balls of her feet to meet him half way and gently gripped his chin in her hand. As soon as she steadied herself, she started drawing on his face. She began by colouring an upside down triangle with rounded corners at the tip of his nose. It was rather tempting to scribble on a crudely drawn moustache, but she refrained from doing so. Instead, she continued drawing three thin lines on each of his cheeks.

"Voila, quick and easy." Hana smiled and lifted her eyes up to look at his, noting how nice the colour of his eyes were. It took a few milliseconds, but she finally realized just _how_ close they were; so close she got a really good look at the depth of the colour in his eyes. The blood rushed to her cheeks instantaneously and her hand slowly fell from cupping his chin.

There was silence – a bit of a stunned one – and neither of them looked away from each other. The only sounds that really reached their ears was the exhaling of their breaths and, for Hana, there was also the distinct sound of her ears pounding along with her heart. Tadashi gazed into her eyes deeply and then, they flickered downwards slowly, observing that there was a slight tint to her cheeks. His gaze stopped at her lips and noticed how they were slightly apart and glossy from a sweet smelling lip product.

If he leaned down a little bit more, he could just place his lips over hers and–

"Tadashi! I'm going over to Nathan's house now!" Hiro's exclamation ripped the two of them apart from each other. Hana clasped her hands in front of her and Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, glancing at her before walking to the stairs to call out to Hiro.

_Oh my god. What was that? _Hana shouted in her mind repeatedly, her face all red from the thing – whatever it was – that just happened.

Whatever that had happened between them was dropped as soon as Tadashi's friends showed up minutes after Hiro left. Not forgotten though, just buried deep into the depths of their minds. It had been a bit awkward and their movements kind of jerky, but they eased back into the groove of things.

"So, what're you supposed to be?" Gogo, dressed as a Marty McFly from Back to the Future, raised an eyebrow curiously at Tadashi and looked pointedly at the headband on his head.

He lifted the edge of the black cape he had worn a couple of minutes ago up to his nose. "Can't you tell?"

"Some sort of vampire?" Honey Lemon, in her witch costume, tilted her head to the side.

"Close. I'm a vampire cat." He dropped the cape and smiled at them.

It was Wasabi's, who was dressed as a Jedi, turn to raise his eyebrows. "That's pretty creative."

"It was my idea. Why be just a vampire when you can be a cat vampire?" Hana giggled, reaching up to rub the fake cat ears on top of Tadashi's head.

"D'awwwh, that's so cute!" Honey exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"For some reason, it suits you." Gogo smirked.

Fred, whom was surprisingly not in his mascot costume but in a pirate outfit, laughed and reached up to rub the other cat ear. "Yeah, dude. The whiskers really bring out the kitten in you."

Tadashi rolled his eyes and chuckled before Gogo piped up, "We gonna slice up some pumpkins or what?" Reaching over, she grabbed a medium sized pumpkin and plunked it down on the kitchen table, ready to carve it up.

An eventful hour passed with Wasabi shouting at Fred and Gogo not to mess up the system he set up for all the pumpkin carving tools, Honey Lemon painting her pumpkin carving pink, and Tadashi having to help Hana with carving because she almost cut her hand with one of the knives. Needless to say, everyone was having fun.

One of the best parts was that Hana was getting to know the others. The more she talked to them, the more she realized just how great of a group they were. Honey was talkative and outgoing with so much kindness pouring out of her heart; Gogo was independent and tough, but also very caring; Fred was the hilarious guy that loved to just have fun; and Wasabi was also funny and scared easily, but just as kind as everyone else. They made her feel welcomed and asked her a lot of questions in turn, wanting to get to know her as well.

"So, I've been dying to ask, but is there something going on between you and Tadashi?" Honey Lemon asked when the boys disappeared to take the finished pumpkins outside.

Hana's eyes widened and she looked at Honey and Gogo, and both of them stared right back at her expectantly. "What? Between me and Tadashi?"

"Yeah, like…stuff." Gogo said.

A blush fought its way up to Hana's cheeks and she shook her head vigorously. "No, not at all. Nothing's going on between us. We're just friends."

Gogo and Honey looked at each other, both of them thinking and wondering the same thing. What, just friends? So, the both of them didn't even notice when one of them would glance at the other or how in sync they seemed to be?

"Really?" Honey prodded a little more, her eyebrows raised up.

"Really. We're just friends." Hana repeated, her heart faltering at the words this time. _Right?_

* * *

**The long awaited chapter fourteen. I know, it's really late and I'm really sorry. I made this one a little longer as an apology, hehe. I think things are progressing between Hana and Tadashi. Slowly, but surely! Poor Evan though, if only he knew what he was getting into, I almost feel really bad that I'm doing this to him. **

**Classes are starting back up for me soon, but I'm going to try my VERY best to try and squeeze out a chapter before I go back. I know that so far the story's been focused more on the progression between Tadashi and Hana, but I have a mini plot in mind and I'm looking forward to writing that! And as always, I want to thank everyone who favourited, followed, and reviewed! It means so much to me that you're all enjoying the story so far! **

**Also, before I go, are you guys okay with smut? We're allowed to write that, right? I should've probably checked the guidelines, haha. I'll most likely raise the rating when the time comes, but I'll warn you guys before anything happens!**

**~Mari**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Halloween was finally over and with that the decorations came down and were put back into boxes. Children were excited from the amount of candies and chocolates they accumulated, and adults were a little hungover from partying too hard. The best part of it all? The chocolates that didn't sell were marked down to at least half price. Now _that_ was exciting.

Hana had ventured down to the street to the little grocery store and bought a box of mixed mini chocolate bars. The box contained all her favourites and it was big enough that it would most likely last her quite a while. The spooky holiday may not be her favourite, but the stuff that comes after was worth it.

The moment she had come back from the store, she had taken out her laptop and started watching one of the TV shows. It was a comedy TV show she had recently started and it already had its hooks in her. She was only about halfway into the third episode when her cellphone began to vibrate and the familiar tune chimed a second later.

"Hello?" Hana answered while sitting up from her lazy position on the couch. The action caused the chocolate wrappers on top of her chest to fall down to her lap.

"Hey. What're you up to?" Evan's familiar voice chirped on the other end.

Hana paused a moment and looked down to see the state she was in. There were chocolate wrappers littered around and on her and she was still in her pyjamas. Reaching down, she picked a stray crumb off her shirt. "Um, just hanging at home and realizing how much of a slob I am."

Evan made a noise of amusement and she could practically hear his eyebrow raising. "Oh?"

"So I went out in the morning to buy some half-off Halloween chocolate, big deal. I'm still a responsible adult that does responsible things." Hana defended lamely, a smile on her lips.

"Like eating mini chocolate bars and watching TV shows?" He hit the nail on that one and she couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of her.

"Exactly."

"I'm guessing it's your day off then?" He asked. There was a noise of agreement from her so he continued on, "Wanna grab lunch with me?"

The moment he mentioned lunch, her stomach growled in approval as if she hadn't just eaten about a dozen chocolatey treats. It growled a second time, telling her that she needed actual food instead of snacks. Couldn't argue with that.

"Sure. At noon?"

"It's almost noon."

Surprise shot through her body and she checked the time on her laptop. True enough, it was fifteen minutes before noon. She could've sworn it had been ten o'clock five minutes ago. Just how long had she been watching the show?

"Too long."

"Huh?"

"You just asked how long you've been watching your show." Evan explained, amusement colouring his tone. In turn, the blood rushed to Hana's cheeks and she cupped her forehead in embarrassment with her free hand. "Judging by your question, I'm guessing you aren't ready yet."

"Not at all." She drags the last syllable with misery and flops backwards against the couch. Evan, the little shit, just laughs at her response.

"How about we meet up in an hour then? I'll come by where you live and pick you up."

"'kay, I'll text you the address in a bit." As soon as they ended their call, Hana sent him a text with her address before she gathered up the chocolate wrappers to throw out. An hour was plenty of time to get ready. Not wanting to waste any time, she rushed to the bathroom and jumped in the shower.

At the half hour mark, she was done her shower, had applied on her skin products for a nice dewy look, and her eye makeup was on point – which was a miracle in itself. It wasn't much though, just some eyeliner with a bit of a wing at the end, mascara, and some white eyeshadow in the inner corners of her eyes for highlight.

Just as she was finishing up with drying her hair, her phone chimed to indicate that she had just received a text message. Thinking it was Evan, panic shot through her body and she reached over to her phone. Had it been an hour already? Was he here?

'_Hey, girl! I know this is out of the blue, but I'm going to the big city to visit! Was wondering if I could crash with you.'_

It was one of her best friends from her hometown. They hadn't talked during the week due to their busy schedules, but this was such a surprise. A total delightful surprise. A grin split on her face and she quickly shot her a reply text.

'_Omg Jenny! Of course you can stay! When're u coming?'_

'_Next weekend. I know I know, short notice, but u know me xP_'

'_That's plenty of time!_'

'_It'll be like the good ol' times!_'

For a few minutes, they texted excitedly about what they would do next weekend and what the San Fransokyo life was like. Hana was floating on the clouds by the end of their conversation; when was the last time she had met up with her friends? A lot of them had gone their separate ways, going off to different colleges in different states or just staying for the local college or taking time off, like her. They'd kept somewhat in contact, but their busy schedules gradually got in the way. But talking to Jenny again, one of her best friends, really brought back the memories of her time back home. It would really be great to see her again; she really did miss her hometown sometimes.

It was almost time to meet with Evan and Hana realized that she had momentarily forgotten about it. Quickly, she hurried to her closet and went through her clothes. It was a little chilly today so she grabbed a lightweight sweater. She slipped on her burgundy skater skirt and then pulled her cream coloured sweater over her head. To top off her outfit, she pulled on some black knee high socks.

When she checked herself out in the mirror, she whistled low. "Damn, I look pretty good today." Indeed, she did. It was definitely a change from baggy sweats and t-shirts. Dressing up like this made her feel like a human again, especially since long work days wore her out.

Her phone chimed again for what seemed to be the hundredth time that afternoon.

'_Here. I'm in the red car._'

One last look in the mirror and she was out of her room with her purse, slipping on her ankle boots on. After she locked the door, she had to jiggle it a little to make sure it was fully locked because if she didn't she was going to forget. It was one of her techniques to remembering if she locked her front door.

"Hey!" Hana greeted as soon as she opened the passenger door and slipped in. "Thanks for picking me up."

"Don't mention it." The brunet smiled then took notice of her outfit. "You look nice today. Like the embodiment of autumn."

"Awww, thanks, Evan." Hana cooed. "Autumn's my favourite season and today felt like a cute sweater day."

"Can't argue with that." He was also wearing a sweater in navy blue and a plaid button up underneath judging by the collar. He backed out of the space, his hand behind her headrest as he looked over his shoulder to do a check before he was on the road. "How do burgers and fries sound?"

"At this point, I'll eat just about anything."

"Woah there, Hannibal, this is as fast as I can drive."

"Give me foooood."

The both of them shared a good laugh before launching into a conversation. She asked him about his car and he replied that he didn't use it often due to gas prices. But sometimes he had to drive because his cello was way too big to lug around on transit sometimes. She completely understood; cellos were extremely expensive and it was important to be delicate with them. Even with a case, they needed to be cared for with the utmost caution. Thank goodness she only took piano, she didn't have to worry about lugging around a huge instrument.

Luckily, the drive wasn't that long and they made it in about fifteen minutes. The burger joint was nestled in a quieter neighbourhood and it was small, but rather cozy. The lunch time rush was over and only a few customers lingered for their late meal. Evan, being the gentleman he is, pulled out the chair for Hana.

"Oh my, you're such a gentleman."

"I try." Evan smiled teasingly, sitting down in his own seat before holding up the small menu. It didn't take them long to choose what they wanted to eat – Evan with his loaded burger and her with a swiss and mushroom burger – and she remembered the events prior to his arrival.

"Oh! I got a text this morning from one of my best friends back in my hometown."

"Really? What'd they say?"

"She said she was coming to San Fransokyo for a small trip and wanted to visit me. She's crashing over at my place." The excitement in her voice was barely contained and she was practically wiggling in her spot.

The exuberance radiated towards him and his lips automatically lifted up into a smile. To be honest, it was hard not to be excited with her; she had that sort of ability.

"Sounds like you two are gonna have a blast. Are you gonna show her around?"

Hana took a sip of her chocolate milkshake before nodding. "Mhm. I mean, I haven't been here long, but I'll show her what I can." Because face it, she was as much of a foreigner in this city as her friend was. Though Hana liked to believe she knew a bit of her way around now, after three months.

"When you have time and I'm done classes, I can take you guys around too."

"Aww, thanks. That's really nice of you." It'd definitely be awesome if her best friend met the new friends she made in the big city. It was also a way to show Jenny that she was doing fine and that there was nothing to worry about. A new wave of eagerness washed over and the prospect of this made her giddy; she really hoped her friends would get along.

* * *

A few days had passed since her lunch with Evan and it was finally the day Jenny was supposed to arrive. Hana had cleaned up her whole apartment the day before, dusting all her furniture, vacuuming thoroughly, and scrubbing down her whole bathroom to the point she could see her reflection on the side of her tub. All in all, she was ready.

She'd also gotten a few days off of work. Cass had been excited for her and more than happy to give her that time off. She was an incredibly understanding and kind woman so there had been no reason for her to be afraid of asking. Plus, it was the first time she asked for some time off.

The moment the buzzer rang, Hana squeaked in excitement and shot up from her spot on the couch. She grabbed her set of keys and locked the front door up before rushing down the stairs as fast as she could without tripping. Rolling down the stairs, though a fast way, and breaking her bones was not how she wanted to spend her time.

"Jenny!" Hana threw open the entrance door and reached out to squeeze her friend into a tight hug. The blonde dropped her purse and wheezed out a laugh, hugging Hana back just as tightly.

"Hana! I missed you so much! Let me look at you!" Jenny leaned back and looked Hana up and down before crushing her in another hug. "You look well!"

"So do you." Hana laughed happily. Peering over the taller girl's shoulder, she saw Jenny's dad bring up a small suitcase. "Hi, Mr. Atkinson! It's been so long."

The jolly man grinned at Hana and took his turn crushing her in a hug. Jenny and Hana practically grew up together so Mr. Atkinson was like another father to her. "Too long. I hope the city's treating you well."

"It has! I'm still getting used to everything, but I really love it here."

"Looks like our small town girl's transformed into a city girl." Jenny teased.

"Hardly. I do miss the wilderness and trees that our town is surrounded by."

Mr. Atkinson chuckled and ruffled Hana's hair much like he did when she was growing up. "You're not missing much, kiddo." He looked down at his watch before looking back up. "I have to run now, business calls. You two have fun, okay? Stay out of trouble."

Jenny grinned – the splitting image of her father – and wrapped an arm around Hana's shoulders. "Trouble? Us? Never."

"Ah ha." His eyebrows raised and there was an amused twinkle in his eyes. "Knowing you two, something's bound to happen."

"So little faith in us." Jenny sighed dramatically and placed the back of her hand on her forehead for emphasis. "You're going to be late, dad."

"Right, right! Call me if you need anything." He kissed Jenny on the head and patted Hana's before dashing off to his car. They waved until he was out of sight and headed upstairs to her apartment.

When they entered her home, Jenny whistled lowly in appreciation and shifted her eyes around to take it all in. "Damn, nice place. It's really cozy."

"Thanks. I don't have much furniture, but I make do with what I have. Thankfully, the previous owners left their coffee table and couch." Hana said while leading her best friend to where her room was. The bed was a double so there was enough room for them to share. It wasn't like they moved around a lot in their sleep either so it wouldn't be uncomfortable.

Jenny wheeled in her suitcase and pushed it into the corner before falling down backwards on the bed. She spread out her arms and let out a happy sigh. "This is nice. It'll be like our old sleepovers."

"Staying up late talking about stuff, you getting hungry so we try to sneak some cookies, and me falling asleep before you in the middle of our strange 3AM conversations." Hana mused, giggling at the memories.

"Mhm. Just like old times." Jenny sat up and grinned again, her pearly whites showing. "Can we go to the café you work at? I'm a little hungry and very interested in seeing it."

"Yeah, of course. It takes about fifteen minutes by bus." Hana glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand. "We should make it just in time for the lunch rush to be done."

"What're we waiting for? Let's goooo!" Jenny jumped up and linked her arm with Hana's, laughing all the way out of the room.

The two young women made it to the café in fifteen minutes and just as Hana predicted, the lunch time rush was over and there was a sense of peacefulness in the café. It wasn't Angela that was working at the front, but one of her other coworkers, who greeted her with a cheerful wave. Cass must've been in the kitchen to bake up some more treats to put out, and her thoughts were confirmed when the faint smell of baking muffins wafted out from the kitchen.

Jenny looked around in awe, admiring the decorations and the nice atmosphere. It was no wonder Hana loved her job so much. "This place is so cute."

"Isn't it? It's the best café in this area. Kid you not."

Then, Tadashi appeared out from the back with a tray of cleaned plates and his lips drew up into a smile when he saw Hana. "Hey, Hana."

"Ah! Tadashi, hey. I guess you're helping out during my time off." She felt a little bad, but remembered that even still, he was also an employee. A good one at that.

"Yeah. I offered to help Aunt Cass." He smiled so sweetly at her and finally noticed the blonde girl next to her. "Is this your friend?"

"Yeah, this is –"

"Jenny! Jenny Atkinson." The blonde interjected, stepping forward towards Tadashi.

"I'm Tadashi Hamada. It's nice to meet you, Hana's said a lot of good things about you." Tadashi smiled brilliantly at Jenny and stretched out his hand to her. Jenny took it and shook his hand, her gaze never leaving his face. A blush formed on her cheeks at the contact and her eyes were filled with daze.

Oh.

Hana knew that look.

Unexpectedly, an uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of Hana's stomach and an invisible hand gripped her heart painfully.

Oh _no_.

* * *

**Oh my god. I don't even know what to say. I'm sorry that it took so long, I really underestimated my classes this semester and they've been kicking my ass. Somehow, I managed to squeeze this out. Just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving!**

**Ahhh, a wild Jenny has appeared! Things are about to get _interesting_. I won't get into details, but the plot is definitely moving along. **

**Thank you everyone who favourited, followed, and reviewed! You guys mean the world to me; thank you for sticking with me! And happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians! **

**~Mari**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

The next couple of hours were going to be particularly nerve inducing for Hana as she and Jenny sat in Lucky Cat Café. Normally, Hana wouldn't mind spending hours in the café just hanging out, browsing on her laptop, and chatting with her coworkers and regular customers. However, right now she felt rather restless. She couldn't say the same for Jenny though; the blonde seemed positively excited to be here. Not once had her eyes strayed away from Tadashi, who was currently working behind the counter to make a drink.

"You never told me you worked with a really cute guy." Jenny told her in a hushed manner as her eyes followed said cute guy. Hana's eyes drifted from the dreamy expression on her friend's face then to Tadashi. The uncomfortable feeling that had been bubbling inside her only intensified and nervously, she bounced the front of her foot on the linoleum floor.

"I didn't?" Hana feigned innocence, her lips forming into a smile. Why did the smile seem so fake? "I didn't think it was that important."

"Of course it is!" Wide blue eyes stared back her in mock surprise and Jenny grinned playfully. "I would've visited way sooner."

Well, at least now Hana knew that as long as Tadashi was here too, then Jenny would want to visit more often. She couldn't quite decide if that was a good idea or not. On the one hand, the blonde was one of her best friends ever; they grew up in two streets away from each other, attended the same school since elementary, had sleepovers every other weekend, all that normal best friend stuff. But on the other hand, that feeling in her gut kept growing and the grip on her heart was just as painful as before. The idea of Jenny getting closer with Tadashi didn't really sit well with her.

"What about Dustin? Didn't you like him?"

"Dustin?" Jenny placed her chin on her palm and looked up in thought before shrugging a shoulder. "After he left for college, my feelings sort of died down. I still talk with him, but I don't feel anything. He has a girlfriend though, she's very sweet from what he tells me."

Was it bad that Hana had been hoping for better news? Like, Dustin being madly in love with Jenny and waiting patiently for her? But of course, as luck would have it, that was definitely not the case.

"Really? That's really good for him though. He's just as sweet so it's no surprise he found a nice girl at his college." Hana smiled sweetly, pushing away the ugly thoughts. God, she was the worst friend ever for even thinking that.

"And what about you? Any boy news?" There was a sparkle in those blue eyes that had Hana chuckling quietly. Jenny was always the type that loved talking about boys, love lives, or anything scandalous.

There was some hesitation and honestly, she was unsure as to why. The easy answer should've been 'no', but the single word died at the tip of her tongue. Jenny must've noticed because the blonde was instantly on her like a lion on its prey.

"There is, isn't there? You haven't had a boy you liked since junior year of high school!" She gripped Hana's hand excitedly and stared at her with big, bright eyes. Hana could only blink at her rapidly, trying to make sense of what Jenny was saying "Who is it? Is it one of your neighbours? Oh, oh! Or maybe it's a cute regular customer?"

Once she started, she was hard to stop and Hana knew this well. Before Hana could calm her down and make up some excuse, two steaming cups were placed down on their table. Instantly, Hana's brown eyes lifted up and was met with those familiar warm brown eyes.

Her heart fluttered.

"Here you go, ladies." Tadashi smiled at them warmly as he passed each cup of coffee to them. The smell of the hot drinks had both girls smiling widely and Jenny grinned prettily when she saw the leaf latte design in her drink.

"This is really pretty." She complimented while whipping out her phone to take a picture. "Almost too good to drink."

The compliment had Tadashi blushing a little as he rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you. I'm still practicing to get better. Hana's actually way better than I am at it."

Now it was Hana's turn to blush and she held up her hand to wave her hand around. "No way. I'm terrible at it. I can only do a heart and that's the most basic one."

Jenny giggled and lifted her cup up to take a delicate sip. "You're just being modest." The blonde knew how flustered her friend could get when someone complimented her. When she sipped the latte, the dark flavour of the espresso burst on her tongue and it didn't taste burned at all; just perfect. Following the espresso, there were subtle notes of caramel that made the latte the perfect amount of sweetness. "This is really good by the way."

"Thank goodness." Tadashi looked relieved when Jenny said that with a smile on her face. "I wasn't sure what you would want so I went with something simple."

"Simple is good. I actually love caramel lattes and it's the perfect sweetness too."

Hana watched as those two interacted and the uneasiness settled in the pits of her stomach again. She could see the way Jenny's eyes sparkled and her grin was a little bigger, brighter. The way she tucked some blonde hair behind her ear and covered her mouth when she giggled. They were all signs that she was interested in the tall boy.

It wasn't like it was strange for a girl to be interested in someone handsome and kind like Tadashi. Hana was sure that there were other girls out there, probably at his school or in his classes, that were interested in him.

But then, why did it bother her?

Why did it bother her so much that it was Jenny that was interested in him?

Supressing a small sigh, Hana gripped the ceramic cup in her hands and lifted it up to her lips to take a sip. When she took a sip, her eyes widened a little at the very familiar taste. It was a dark chocolate raspberry mocha, one of her favourite drinks at the café. Tadashi knew?

Her eyes darted up to glance at him, but he'd caught her gaze briefly. The moment he did, there was a small smile that was directed right at her causing her heartbeat kicking up a few notches. It was only a split second, but one of his eyes blinked. No, that wasn't right.

Tadashi had _winked_ at her before redirecting his attention back to the animatedly talking blonde.

Oh god.

* * *

A secret smile crawled its way across her lips as she lifted her cup up again to hide it. This time it was too difficult to ignore the fluttering of her heart.

The next morning was definitely a lot more peaceful. Luckily for Hana, Jenny wasn't an early bird. To be honest, neither was she, but having early morning opening shifts had really conditioned her body to wake up on time. Which was why she found herself wide awake at six in the morning, and that was _after_ she went back to sleep after waking up the first time.

Unable to get anymore shut eye, Hana slipped out of bed and sighed softly when she saw the blankets haphazardly around Jenny. Carefully, she pulled the blanket up to cover the sleeping blonde before quietly exiting the room.

The early morning sun was beginning to peak out from the horizon and coloured the sky beautifully with an array of pinks, purples, oranges, and blues. The rays from the sunrise washed the apartment with warm natural light, covering what it touched with a soft orange. Moments like these were so stunning and tranquil, and Hana found herself relishing in it as she stood in the kitchen to prepare a pot of coffee.

Hana leaned back against the counter as she waited for the coffee to brew, watching the brown liquid begin to pool. Even when she was off from work, she really couldn't stay away from coffee, huh?

The image of a certain black haired, Robotics major popped into her mind and for a second, she blinked blankly at the coffee pot. That sudden thought had started her because, why had Tadashi just…appeared in her mind like that?

Yes, it was true that she had been thinking of him more since yesterday. She thought of his smile and the wink that he gave her. Everything seemed so clear yet at the same time it was still so muddled up. A part of her wanted to delve deeper into this, but the other part of her was afraid to even go near those thoughts.

And now with Jenny gushing and suddenly pinning after Tadashi, Hana wasn't exactly sure _what_ to feel. It scared her that she felt such ugly emotions when Jenny talk to him or when she talked about him. Was Hana ready for the dam to open?

The soft ding of the coffee maker echoed throughout the apartment, but Hana nearly jumped out of her slippers at the sound. It may as well have been a cannon going off with how quiet the whole place was. She really must've dazed off for a coffee maker to scare her like that.

"Unbelievable." She chuckled quietly as she poured herself a cup of coffee. The hot liquid made its way down her throat, instantly warming her whole body up as she padded across the living room to the window. It was just as quiet outside than it was in her apartment, the citizens of San Fransokyo beginning to stir awake. Soon enough, the whole city would be bustling about to enjoy another pleasant Saturday.

Briefly, Hana wondered how Tadashi would be spending his Saturday.

* * *

It was already late afternoon by the time Hana and Jenny were finished looking around San Fransokyo. The two of them had taken the opportunity to tour around the large metropolitan since Hana had also been unable to look around everywhere. The blonde had been shocked at that confession, but it had only made sightseeing all the more exciting.

The both of them weren't embarrassed to take touristy pictures either, especially Jenny. The blonde was always so outgoing and fun-loving it was easy for Hana to have fun too. By the end of their adventure, they'd come out with a few souvenirs and shopping bags, which was after their trip to the mall.

Hana had almost forgotten about Tadashi.

Key word: _Almost_.

"C'mon, maybe he's working right now." Jenny gushed giddily, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as they waited for the light to change. Hana knew for a fact that Tadashi was working that afternoon as she had checked the schedule in advance a few days ago.

Jenny had suggested that they grab a quick drink and snack after their long morning and afternoon exploring the city. And who was Hana to deny something like that? Especially when Jenny seemed so hopeful and thrilled. The black haired girl internally sighed, unable to tell the blond that she wasn't so keen on going to the café today.

"Ah, Jenny!" Hana exclaimed when her friend suddenly shot across the street as soon as the crosswalk light turned white. The only response she received was a loud giggle.

Hana walked as quickly as she could across the street and toward the café, where Jenny had already entered. And when Hana pushed into the not so busy café, she saw Jenny already energetically chatting with Tadashi. Ignoring the squeezing in her chest, she smiled back at the black haired boy that greeted her warmly.

"Jenny was just telling me you guys explored the city and did some shopping."

"Yeah, it was really fun. It was a good time to look around the city since I actually haven't done much of that." Hana smiled widely, the smile that Tadashi directed at her causing her heart to palpitate. Her cheeks began to heat up a little so she casually glanced down at the shopping bags in her hand.

"We came for some drinks and snacks." Jenny cut in with her dazzling grin.

Tadashi chuckled and nodded, straightening up so he can take their orders. "What can I get for you ladies?"

"Green tea latte, please."

"An iced Americano for me." Hana said after Jenny, and shifted her bags so she could reach in to grab her wallet. However, before she could pull it out, a different hand appeared from behind her and placed a crisp ten dollar bill on the counter.

"Make that two iced Americanos." The voice that could only belong to Evan said, his voice rather close to her and his body radiating a comfortable warmth that she could feel through her shirt. It caught her off guard and she swung her head around, peeking up at the brunet.

Tadashi's lips pursed a little, but he maintained his smile at the three of them. When had Evan come? Was it when he was grabbing cups and punching the orders into the cash register?

"Evan, you really don't have to." Hana pouted a little, trying to reach for the bill on the counter. But Evan was quicker; he slid it to the side just out of her reach before giving it to Tadashi.

Evan smiled down at her briefly before taking the change that Tadashi offered. "Don't worry about it. I wanted to."

From the side, Jenny watched carefully at the interaction unfolding between Hana and Evan. Her watchful blue eyes shifted between the two before settling on the handsome boy, scrutinizing his easy going expression and his beautiful green eyes. She noticed how his eyes never strayed away from Hana's face or smile. And his body was leaning in a way that was close to Hana but not close enough that it would make her feel uncomfortable.

Then, it clicked.

Evan liked Hana. It was obvious from the way his smile was just a little wider, his face a little brighter.

Jenny smiled to herself, already devising a plan in her head. Her smile only widened when Evan introduced himself to her and shook her hand. It only solidified the plan.

Once they got their drinks, Jenny took that brief moment when everyone was taking a sip of their drinks to speak. "So I was thinking, why don't the four of us hang out? I would love to get to know you guys more." She glanced at Tadashi and Evan, smiling casually as she took a sip of her own green tea latte. "Kind of like a double date?" The last part was said playfully, but she had really implied it.

The three of them stared at Jenny as if she just spoke in a different tongue. But once her request settled in, Hana's heart nearly dropped into her stomach at the implication. It didn't take a genius to realize what the blonde meant. If this was her ploy to spend time with Tadashi then…

Hana glanced to the side where Evan stood next to her and her heart squeezed.

_Oh_.

* * *

**Hello. It's me. It's been so long! And I'm really sorry. My last semester in school got really hectic and then I was away on vacation during winter break. I'm back though! And I'm going to try my best to keep this story updated. Thank you for sticking by me even through my unresponsive time. I love you all ~**

**~Mari**


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